Sports infuse NPR host's memoir, 'Home and Away'

Scott Simon, author of the memoir "Home and Away"

May 22, 2000
Web posted at: 3:32 p.m. EST (1932 GMT)

(CNN) -- Scott Simon, the host of National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition," is a longtime reporter who has won an armload of awards over the years for his work from all corners of the globe. But when he turned to writing a memoir, he focused on something a little closer to home. The just-released "Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan" (Hyperion) weaves the events of his life and sometimes harrowing times with the world of sports in his beloved hometown, Chicago.

He recently talked to CNN Sunday Morning anchor Miles O'Brien about his new book.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN: Was it obvious to you that sports was this touchstone and that it would be a central part of your memoir?

SIMON: You know, it became obvious. I didn't actually set out to write a memoir so much as a book that recollected my life as a fan. But I would cover something like the siege of Sarajevo and notice how many Bulls caps there were abrim on the street, and then going to just the foulest slums in the world, the favelas in Rio and Sao Paulo and little street kids would often have their heads shaved because there's not potable water there to keep out lice and they would take the palm of their hand and wipe it over their smooth heads and say, "See, like Mike, Michael Jordan."

And then when they heard I was from Chicago, they would throw themselves at the moon slam-dunking phantom basketballs to say, "Chicago, Chicago, Michael Jordan." And that's when it began to occur to me that maybe I could use this narrative line of my life as a sports fan and lover of sports to weave in personal stories.

CNN: Well, there are a few things like Michael Jordan that transcend all boundaries and barriers and it is a remarkable thing and in a way it's remarkable in sports, too. I'm curious, as you ran into all these Bulls symbols wherever you went ... I'm sure you were thrilled on the one hand, but is it, in a way, appalling that this imperialism of America is everywhere?

SIMON: Some people, in fact, do call it cultural imperialism. There are ways in which it is appalling. Actually, I find Coca- Cola symbols more appalling than the Bulls symbol and I'm not sure, within a year or so given what the Bulls are doing and the absence of Michael Jordan from the active game, I'm not certain how many people are going to be wearing Bulls hats.

CNN: Well, it's hard to root for a soda pop, too, of course.

SIMON: It's hard to root for a soda pop, particularly that one sometimes in parts of the world. But I guess I began to conclude that sports was a kind of international romance language. It was a way of opening up a channel of communication. I mean coming across the border from Croatia into Bosnia, the Croatian border guard, who could be a sour and grim man with much to be sour and grim about, shoved my papers back at me and said, "Chicago, Michael Jordan." And of course I was able to say, "Croatia, Toni Kukoc?"

And then eventually I got kind of carried along by the Bulls, who knew of my fealty -- I think one of the reasons they were able to win championships year after year after year is Coach Jackson, then of the Bulls, gave them something to hope for larger than just another championship and that hope was their position and the hopes and aspirations and really, literally, dreams of so many youngsters around the world.

CNN: In a way, Scott, this is the ultimate guy thing to do a memoir and do it by talking about sports because, after all, when guys get together they talk about sports in the absence of talking about anything real.

SIMON: Right. Absolutely. Fathers and sons do it.

CNN: Is that what you did here? Did you use sports as a mechanism for talking about things you'd rather not discuss with the guys?

SIMON: I guess I could be accused of that. But I hope ultimately I did it. I mean there's some stuff in the book that is very painful for me to review, family situation, drinking, alcoholism, my stepfather being convicted of a federal crime, all of that sort of stuff that -- on the other hand, sports gave us the avenue to keep on communicating through all of that and yes, men can be accused of concealing their emotions and not letting them out except to cry at another screening of "Brian's Song" or something. And I wish I could tell you I've never been accused of not having that problem, but I think maybe all of us have. I'm not sure it's an exclusively male problem.

But look, at least we talk to each other, right? Somehow we get it out.

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Hyperion Books
   'Home and Away' by Scott Simon
National Public Radio

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