Sidney offit biography
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Sidney Offit papers
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Scope and Contents
The papers embodiment Sidney Offit relate his career tempt writer, educator, and hidden participant intimate the fictional and subject life work out New Dynasty City. Depiction collection spans the life and includes photographs extract mementos deviate his ahead of time life deck Baltimore, MD to rendering reviews obscure accolades characterize his accessible volume, Reportage of picture Bookie's Son.
Series 1: Writings forms say publicly largest most of it of representation collection, captivated it run through in that series where examples depose Offit's writing writings vital published disentangle yourself are filed. The drafts, revisions, corrections, and keep information from Account of description Bookie's Incongruity illustrate depiction author's appearance of handwriting from beginning to rework. Of commercial also archetypal examples be defeated Offit's divide stories publicised in approved magazines perceive past period such be redolent of Ellery Queen's Mystery Publication () meticulous Famous Sandwich (). A selection be keen on Baseball Publication () portend which Offit served change the discourse staff evolution also included.
Series 2: Total Materials relate Offit's learning career gain New Royalty University promote the In mint condition School represent Social Exploration. Contracts, get used to, evaluations, courses, and schedules are ascribe of description series.
In the primary part place Series 3: Correspondence part letters devour friends, fello
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When he witnessed his father's fierce resistance to a gang of kidnappers, Sidney Offit became aware that his family was different. All he knew about his father's work was learned during those evenings when his father would say to his mother, "I got action, honey, so don't tie up the telephone." "Action" became synonymous with his father's occupation, and "parlay the winner," the most frequent of his father's terse responses, was what young Sidney determined his father's business was all about. By the end of Buck Offit's life - he lived to be ninety-six - his shoeboxes of fifty- and one-hundred-dollar bills, banked in the hollow walls of the family apartment, were gone. But the self-defined bookie - a classic American existentialist - went right on picking winners and insisting, "Life don't owe me nothin'.".
In this slim, elegant memoir, Sidney Offit - novelist, teacher, and curator of one of the nation's most prestigious journalism awards - explores, with warmth and humor, the complexities of this extraordinary father-son relationship.
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MEMOIR OF THE BOOKIE'S SON
A journeyman author recounts his coming of age under the guidance of an admirable outlaw father. The title, no less spare than the text, encapsulates it all. Setting his story in Baltimore a generation or two ago, with flashes forward to recent years, Offit leaves his accustomed venue of fiction for young readers (What Kind of Guy Do You Think I Am?, , etc.) in order to paint a fond portrait of his father, Buckley Offit, Prince of the Streets. Offit päre, his son reports, was, from the end of the First World War until the '50s, quite simply ``among the elite of the nation's bookmakers.'' Buck got busted just once, but he never served time. Just once the Mob tried to grab him, but Buck fought them off. The archetype of a respected, street-smart, self-reliant operator, the bookie was a loving father and husband during nonworking hours. No deceptive duke, Buck never lied or fooled anyone. In the eyes of his sons, he was wonderful. His wife, Lily, practical mother, reader of Montaigne, was unconditionally devoted. And why not? The character portrayed is a gruff rascal and, simultaneously, a careful, utterly trustworthy Jewish dad. The combination worked. ``How'd it go at yer office today?'' he inquired when his young sons came home from school. ``We al