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(5) James Joyce
Joyce’s mastery of language and inventiveness with new literary forms made him possibly the most critically acclaimed and influential novelist of the 20th century. Ulysses, Finnegans Wake, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are all firmly entrenched in the modern canon, and although his wildly experimental tendencies make reading his work tedious, it’s tough to deny that Joyce had a pretty firm grasp of human nature.
(12) Bill Simmons
Simmons, better known as ESPN’s Sports Guy, changed the sports journalism game earlier this decade by foregoing all of the field’s tired conventions and giving fans what they really wanted: something written from their point of view. By eschewing locker rooms and insider access, Simmons was able to inject a new sensibility into sports writing, one that used a relentlessly playful and sarcastic tone, myriad references to 80’s movies, unapologetic Boston homer-ism, and Simmons’ always-sharp sense of humor in lieu of banal postgame quotes from players. It worked. The Sports Guy’s columns became required reading for sports fans, while everyone else’s writing started to feel a little bland by comparison.
The Breakdown
Both writers have a tendency to write incredibly long works. Both writers’ outputs show a willingness to break with convention and test the limits of what their form can do. Both writers loved to mock Isiah Thomas’ decision making with the Knicks. (At least we think that’s what Joyce was doing in the Penelope episode of Ulysses.) As of yet, Simmons hasn’t written anything quite as long as Ulysses, but his long-awaited forthcoming NBA book may in fact be 783 pages long. This one’s a tough call.
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Comments (7)
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I know Joyce is the right choice, but I have a complete man crush on Simmons. I have been reading him since his first days on ESPN.com…..I have his book and now listen to all of his podcasts. So my vote went to Simmons.
I will now light myself on fire – ‘Bill Simmons’
posted by Ian on 3-17-2009 at 9:36 am
@Ian… I agree with you. I’ve read everything Joyce wrote. Damn, I read “Ulysses” three times in the course of my university career! And I marvel at his prose and insight.
But Bill Simmons’ writing has made me laugh and cry, so hard, in equal measure, and in any case, far more than Joyce’s has ever done. I love that he uses anecdotes about his wife, the Sports Gal, and even invited her to be a guest writer. I love that he came around to liking Steve Nash. I love his 80s pop culture references. He makes me proud of all things Bostonian and I’ve never even been there. His Las Vegas road-trip recaps, and his improving relationship with hockey–and, through that, his dad–have been delightful to read.
So, yeah, Joyce may be the greater linguist and intellectual, but Simmons writes in a way that touches my heart. I haven’t cracked open “The Dubliners” in nearly a decade, but I read “The Sports Guy” on a regular basis.
Pass the matches, Ian: I voted for Bill Simmons, too.
posted by Kikadee on 3-17-2009 at 11:03 am
I’m with you guys. I’ve read Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, and I thought both were brilliant. Snippets of Joyce never just pop into my head during my day-to-day life, but I’m always thinking of some old Simmons punchline and chuckling. The Reggie Cleveland All Stars alone have greatly enhanced my sports viewing experiences.
posted by Ken on 3-17-2009 at 11:36 am
I find Simmons to be stale these days. Also, overtly homerish. I go with Joyce.
posted by Andrew on 3-17-2009 at 1:34 pm
Sure Joyce is a classic but Simmons really innovated the sports writing game. I have to give him my vote.
posted by Joe on 3-17-2009 at 2:53 pm
Hey mods, what’s the deal with not allowing some comments? I thought my take on this matchup was well thought out, if brief. Or was it the extremely mild questioning of this whole tournament thing that you didn’t like? I’m glad mental floss is into censorship – it’s really great for expanding the mind, knowledge, and understanding. Jerks.
posted by Tom on 3-19-2009 at 12:39 pm
I stopped reading Bill Simmons in 2005 after a few years because his writing was stale and repetitive. I read an article of his lately. It might as well have been written when he was still a bartender. We don’t care what your dad, your buddies, or your wife has to say, let alone what YOU have to say about Boston and everything Boston-related.
posted by Pablo on 3-22-2009 at 9:18 pm