The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglamorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.

Hello.

Come with me to the University of Chicago, the end of the 1980s, and your humble

podcaster is trying to figure out where he fits into the world. In high

school I was more or less a dumb jock and now I was thrown into the deep end

swimming with the intellectual sharks. I had a hard time giving up my identity as an

athlete and then one day a woman in my dorm who was

deciding between medical school and becoming a professional dancer was talking about a ballet dancer she knew who was unfortunate

in that his legs were not the right shape.

He could work hard and he did.

He could have natural ability which he had,

but apparently his legs were going to be a limiting factor

a ceiling on the heights he could reach in his chosen profession and someone said well hey what about my legs

would my legs work and she looked at them and said nope yours are too thick and then she

went down the hallway and said yours are too short but whoa actually jacks are perfect

and everyone laughed and looked at my legs she said yeah Jack, that's the perfect shape. He's got the perfect ballet dancer legs.

In a way, I was flattered. Who doesn't like hearing a little praise now and then? But I thought well there you go that's just

typical isn't it I might have been born to do something that I've had no

interest in doing who knew now before you say oh it's not just just about having a nice

pair of gams Jack yes I get it I have no doubt that something else like grace or

rhythm or strength or dexterity or or desire or or

diligence something would have prevented me from becoming a barrijnikov.

...