Howard Jacobson on Phil “The Power” Taylor

I have always been a sucker for those whose writing challenges, engages and entertains me.  I remember being captivated by the American conservative commentator George Will in the late 1980’s.  I agreed with few of his views.

But his writing always beguiled.  His deep knowledge of history and culture.

The obscure but telling anecdote.  His unusual choice of obscure subjects from everyday life to make broad political points.  He intrigued.  Beguiled.

Persuaded but never badgered.  I always thought of him as an American who wrote like an Englishman.

Of late I have become enamoured of another contrary engaging voice.  Howard Jacobson is a Booker Prize winning author of “The Finkler  Question” and more recently “Zoo Time”.  I lack the time and patience for most “serious literature”.  But Jacobson is altogether a different beast.  He is rambunctious, opinionated, funny and always has a quote or fact I have never heard before.

The point of this for Almanackers is his recent column (link below) about the World Darts Championship.  It celebrates the exceptional skill that comes from unexceptional origins.  I have never seen Phil “The Power” Taylor in action, but I have read about his exploits from Harms, Flynn and Crio et al.   His picture gives me hope that I still have a World Title in me.

Read the article here.

 

 

 

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