One Ring Circus: Dispatches from the World of Boxing Paperback – May 1, 2009

I don't know a lot about boxing. I've heard the names "Ali" and "Tyson" thrown around before, and I have some basic idea about what the sport entails; but mostly I've just watched The Simpson's episode "The Homer They Fall" where papa Simpson figures out he can sustain numerous blows to the head without any damage. He fights his way through the amateur league in Springfield (which consists entirely of hobos) until he finally ends up going pro and getting in over his head. The episode isn't one of my favorites, and I never thought I'd find myself the least bit interested in the sport itself.Enter Katherine Dunn.Over a year ago, I read Geek Love as a supplementary novel in an American Literature class and got hooked. I still haven't quite put my finger on what it is about Dunn's writing that charms me, but I've been looking for more ever since. Recently, I used my college's Academic Research Database to find some of Dunn's journalistic articles and read those. I'm not a "news" guy, and I've never been a reader of newspapers or periodicals of any sort. I read "The Knockout"--which appears in this volume--online and was instantly enchanted.Maybe it was Dunn's writing that drew me in once again. Maybe it was the fact that I had never considered the dynamic of women, boxing, and feminism before. And maybe I'm rooting for the underdog again, developing an interest in a sport that hasn't gotten much press lately. I wasn't sure if an entire book of essays on boxing was up my alley even then, but I took a risk and ordered a copy online as my first, declared summer reading novel.I wasn't disappointed.One Ring Circus is not a neophyte's guide to boxing. There's no glossary of boxing terminology, and don't expect to have the rules explained blow by blow. This collection of Dunn's journalism--and it is a collection (everything here has appeared elsewhere as well)--reads like a true aficionado's journal of the sport. Some sections are accounts of particular bouts or the profiles of certain boxers. Others are more like reflections or informed personal essays. I enjoyed these latter pieces best, although Dunn's accounts of the fights themselves are just as engaging; however, I'll admit to having trouble keeping up with the lists of stats and names at various points. But that's just me.Some personal favorites of mine include "The Vice and Virtue of Boxing," "Buckaroo Boxing," "Just As Fierce," and "Fight or Die: The Johnny Tapia Story." It's all worth reading. I don't think this is the sort of book you just dive into and read in an afternoon though. Eventually the profiles and descriptions of the fights start to run together, so it works best in doses. I wouldn't call it bathroom reading either, but most of the segments are short enough that you can read one or two at night before bed without feeling like you are missing out by putting the book down for a while.Outside of some typographical errors, the presentation of the material is as nice looking as you're likely to find in a softcover book. The design (cover photograph, font, etc.) is also very attractive and looks good on the shelf or simply lying around the house.Maybe I just like Dunn's brand of feminism better than anything else I've read by Gilbert and Gubar and others. Perhaps I'm enchanted with the image of a woman (especially this woman who looks like your sweet, little grandmother) enjoying this "Sweet Science," with its stereotypically masculine heavyweight image. I like to think that at least part of my interest is genuinely focused on the sport itself.I definitely learned something reading One Ring Circus and I also enjoyed it immensely. It's a perfect read for the Dunn fan waiting for the author's next fiction offering, and the curious (eager Googling may also be required to make complete sense of the material) could do worse than to read what is truly a knowledgeable look at the sport from the perspective of an observer whose journalistic objectivism often gives way to impassioned explication. It's not written in academic jargon and never takes on the tone of one who knows it all and is imparting wisdom to the uninitiated.I won't call it a knockout (it's been said), but One Ring Circus is definitely worth a gander if you're up for some generally accessible nonfiction reading.(Note: This review originally appeared at [...])

I'm a huge Geek Love fan, and it was only a matter of time before I read One Ring Circus (been on the Kindle for over a year now). I am also a very green boxing fan (admittedly, I know nothing about the sport, but have found myself intrigued over the past few years, wanting to delve into it not just as a casual viewer). Therefore, this book made sense to read for me. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the stories that we written here. I even did some research on some names I never heard of, just to see what I missed in the 80's. Dunn certainly knows boxing, and she has this passion for it that I could some people not understanding, as boxing is a tough sport to engage in on many levels. I respect her for her views and her insights. I can't say what my favorite story was (probably the Johnny Tapia one, heartbreaking and enthralling all in the same), but her defense of Tyson biting Holyfield had me floored. I remember that fight, and I never thought to wonder why Tyson did what he did, only assumed what the media said. Dunn's take is something else. Daring and insightful, and I find myself sympathizing with Tyson as she told he viewpoint of the fight and reason/cause. That was pretty eye opening and it's writing like that that I just love.

Husband loves this book

Very short pieces on the local (Northwest, USA) boxing scene, and a few ruminations on the "bigs." Nice collection.

Some of the best sports writing I've read.

I don't follow boxing but this was engrossing.

Kathleen Dunn presents a very interesting perspective on boxing writing. A columnist for a small time newspaper with enough of a budget to send her to some big fights in the 1980's, she was one of the only women to cover and write about the Sweet Science in this time period. From a point in time paradigm, she writes about not only the major men's fights of the era, Leonard-Hagler, Hearns-Hagler, Duran-Hagler and Holmes-Cooney, but also the emergence of women's boxing.Her take on these events is unique. She talks of not really liking Sugar Ray Leonard as a fighter. Though she breaks the beat writer's rule of impartiality, she does admit to admiration of skills. She talks of Hagler's pride and craftsman's love of his middleweight title, and the tragedy (to him) of losing heis precious cargo to an illusionist like Sugar Ray Leonard (at that point in his career). Of Larry Holmes, another proud craftsman fighting through the bigotry and near-sightedness of a sports nation while defending his title against Gerry Cooney.Some of the most interesting writing comes on the heels of women's pro boxing, which, as she writes about it was in its infancy. One article talks not specifically about women's boxing, but about women's capacity for both cruelty and savagery. She uses Government statistics and a well researched back-up to articulate her position. This is a highly thought provoking article. Her article on the fight between Laila Ali and Jacqueline Frazier-Hyde is well thought out, focussing on te promotion, and the build up of these two famous daughters as celebrities in their own right.The fight action reporting is slim here, but the writing works on a whole different level.