Illinois Authors

The Illinois Center for the Book banner

Christian Karl Messenger

Born: East Orange, New Jersey
Pen Name: None

Connection to Illinois: Christian Messenger is a Professor of American literature and cultural studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Biography: N/A


Awards:
  • Carl Sandburg Literary Award for Non-Fiction for `Sport and the Spirit of Play in America`.

Primary Audience(s): Adult readers

Email: chrism1@uic.edu
Christian Karl Messenger on WorldCat : http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=christian+karl+messenger


Selected Titles

Long time coming :
ISBN: 0802115047 OCLC: 31606896

Grove Press, New York : ©1995.

A college All-American at Bradley University (1959-62) and an NBA star for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls (1962-75), Chet Walker was one of the first black athletes to gain celebrity status on the basketball court, coming into his own while the Civil Rights movement was sweeping the country. Now an Emmy Award-winning television and film producer, Chet Walker has written this eloquent and candid account of his illustrious sports career and the struggles, sacrifices, and successes - both personal and political - that have shaped his life. Here he describes the obligatory double consciousness of the black athlete, who must forgo political and social activism in exchange for status as a sports hero and cultural role model. A true team player who helped build two of the all-time great NBA teams, Walker describes the underside as well as the glory of that life, while giving us an intimate look into the conscience of a gifted, multitalented, and deeply thoughtful African-American. His basketball career ended not when his talent ran out but when his conscience told him it was time to no longer be "owned" by anyone.

Sport and the spirit of play in American fiction :
ISBN: 0231051689 OCLC: 7307398

Columbia University Press, New York : 1981.

Sport and the spirit of play in contemporary American fiction /
ISBN: 0231070942 OCLC: 20629373

Columbia University Press, New York : ©1990.

The sequel to Messenger's (English, U. of Illinois at Chicago) Sport and the spirit of play in American fiction: Hawthorne to Faulkner. Covering the period since World War II, he considers over 100 novels, treating them thematically, with separate chapters on the fictions of boxing, football, baseball, and basketball. His theme--the drive toward individual freedom through sport.

The Godfather and American culture :
ISBN: 0791453588 OCLC: 53047177

State University of New York Press, Albany : ©2002.

 

 

Accessibility