Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/18/2007

Curt Schilling relished the prospect of facing the Yankees during the 2004 playoffs: "The awesome thing about being a starting pitcher is you have the opportunity to make 55,000 people shut up when you're on the road. I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up."

Birthdays:
Forrest Gregg b. 1933
Mike Ditka b. 1939
Mel Counts b. 1941
Martina Navratilova b. 1956
Thomas Hearns b. 1958

MEMOIRS

Educational writer Ansary sent an e-mail on September 12, 2001, on the subject of the terrorist attacks of the day before that was forwarded around the world. His memorable missive is included here, but foremost the book is a memoir of growing up Afghan American, part in the United States and part in Kabul. It’s wise, insightful, and eloquent.

WEST OF KABUL, EAST OF NEW YORK, by Tamim Ansary (Picador, 2003)