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Praying for Base Hits
An American Boyhood
by Bruce Clayton
ISBN: 0826211895
ISBN-13: 9780826211897
Format: Paperback
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Bibliographic Details
Publisher: Univ of Missouri Pr
Published date: 1998
Size: 5.25 x 8 inches
Weight: 0.75 pounds
Pages: 264
Publisher's Notes
Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood follows a young man's bittersweet experiences from youth to adulthood. Bruce Clayton gives readers more than a chronicle of his growing-up years in Kansas City, Missouri; this narrative taps the commonalities of the fifties and conveys the innocence, simplicity, and naivete of the era. Shifting from impish boyhood escapades to persistent family tensions and back again, Praying for Base Hits elicits a wide range of emotions. Clayton tells of raucously boyish adventures -- siphoning "free" orange concentrate from Old Man Pierce's drugstore counter, hiding in a neighborhood grape arbor to glimpse a bathing beauty, skipping school to play Indian ball and penny-ante poker, and whiling away quiet afternoons discussing baseball stats with his neighborhood idol, Mr. Jim. Praying for Base Hits also speaks of graver issues. Clayton remembers his cold, taciturn father grumbling behind his newspaper about the stupidity of baseball and his son's inadequacies. The man's ruthless honesty creates a wall between him and the rest of the family. The tension between Clayton's agnostic father and his pious mother is heightened by frequent trips to the narrow community church Clayton is obliged to attend. From his vivid memories, Clayton gathers a quirky cast of characters: Minnie, his zealously religious grandmother, who refers to Kansas City as Sodom and Gomorrah; Old Man Pierce, the callous, greedy pharmacist who cringes at the sight of Clayton and the rest of the "drugstore cowboys"; and Ed, the cabbie, who reads and quotes Spinoza. The final chapters of the memoir find Clayton trading his dashed childhood hopes of becoming a New York Yankee for themysteries of the adult world. Skillfully alternating between the voices of youth and adulthood, Clayton reflects on his boyhood fully aware that he can never return. Praying for Base Hits offers readers of all ages an engaging story of the innocent pranks and aspirations of childhood and the wistful adult reminiscences of a simpler bygone time.
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Clayton, Bruce
University of Missouri Press. Trade PaperBack. 0826211895 A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. 1998 University of Missouri Press Trade PaperBack . Very Good. 1998. ( more information) Offered by Seashellbooks.com, Inc. (United States)
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2)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Bruce Clayton
University of Missouri Press. Used - Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers! Your purchase benefits world literacy! ( more information) Offered by Better World Books (United States)
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3)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Bruce Clayton
University of Missouri Press. Used - Very Good. Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers! Your purchase benefits world literacy! ( more information) Offered by Better World Books (United States)
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4)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Clayton, Bruce
University of Missouri Press, 1998. Softcover. Like New. SIGNED by author and dated on half-title page, 266 pages, laminated pictorial card cover. An evocative paean to a midcentury way of life that has largely vanished, made interesting by a quirky cast of characters. va ( more information) Offered by Royal Oak Bookshop (United States)
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5)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Clayton, Bruce
University of Missouri Press; Columbia, 1998. First Edition/First Printing. softcover, paperback. Fine condition, as new, Immmaculate text, sound binding. 2 ISBN: 0826211895. ( more information) Offered by Snooty Literary Society (United States)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood (Qty: 5)
Bruce Clayton
University of Missouri Press, 1998-09. Paperback. New. Brand New. In Stock. Order Now. Free upgrade with tracking. Over 600,000 items available. Buy from a trusted Power Seller. ( more information) Offered by *** www.HarvardBooksellers.com *** (United States)
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Praying for Base Hits: An American Boyhood
Bruce Clayton
Paperback. Brand New, Never Used, Perfect Condition. Orders take 5-7 days to process and ship. ( more information) Offered by PapaMedia.com (United States)
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Praying for Base Hits: an American Boyhood
Clayton, Bruce; Univ Of Missouri Prt
Columbia, Missouri, U.S.A.: Univ of Missouri Pr, 1998 Good Very Good Ex-Library Retired library book, may have usual library markings,. Trade Paperback. Good/Unknown. ( more information) Offered by Midwest Book Company (United States)
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