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In the Ring with Walter Dean Myers
Interview
by Jamie Whitfield
Walter Dean Myers
is a virtual icon in young adult literature -- two-time winner of the Newbery
Award; four-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award; and author of numerous
books, both fiction and nonfiction, poetry and prose.
Myers recently
took time to answer a few questions about his latest book, a biography titled
The
Greatest: Muhammad Ali.
Why this book
on Muhammad Ali?
 There
have been a number of books on Ali, but they don't seem to place him in a historical
context. Ali came along toward the beginning of the civil rights movement, and
for young African Americans he represented everything they wanted to be. He
was young. He was a very attractive young man. He was outspoken, not a hater,
but still he was very much "out there." Another factor that attracted people,
both blacks and whites, was the fact that he was one of the first major fighters
who did not seem like a naturally tough guy. Muhammad Ali's nature was sweet.
You could imagine him as being this guy who did poetry -- "float like a butterfly;
sting like a bee." I thought I could bring him into the context of that era.
What made you
focus on his professional rather than his personal life?
 Well,
there were a couple of things. When athletes reach Ali's stardom and come from
a very limited background, it is very difficult for them to even understand
how to deal with this fame and with people fawning over you who didn't even
know your name two weeks ago. It's very difficult for these people to deal with
that. All of a sudden you're famous. That doesn't happen to writers, by the
way.
There's another
factor, too. So many times biographies get into the area of their subject's
slips from grace. It sells more books. But, it's like defining Thomas Jefferson,
who was probably the greatest president this country has had, in terms of "did
he have an affair with Sally Hemings?" I think it's stupid, you know.
What did you
find that surprised you?
 The
first thing that surprised me was although he was loved as a public figure,
many fighters did not like him. They respected him as a fighter, and they respected
what he did for them economically -- that he raised the stakes. You know, among
fighters there is this fraternity of pain, the idea that all these guys go through
tremendous physical pain. They understand that they do this, but what they want
from each other is this level of respect. Muhammad Ali didn't do that. Ali was
one of the few fighters who actually ridiculed other fighters. So while many
fighters respected his skills and the fact that he would fight anyone who came
along, many didn't like him personally. That surprised me.Another
thing that surprised me was prior to writing the book, I looked at fighting
as, "Oh this was an interesting fight; this was a good fight." I really thought
fighters were different from other human beings, that they could take it. It
didn't hurt them as much as it would hurt us. I found that this is not the case.
The guys suffered enormous physical pain. I was also surprised at how many of
them were very, very, badly damaged. The danger of the damage to the bodies,
the brain is just so extensive. So it's really a much more brutal sport than
I ever imagined it to be.
So you haven't
heard his reaction to this book?
No, I haven't heard
anything yet, but I expect to.
What's your
next project?
 I
have a book coming out about my own growing up in Harlem, looking back on my
first 17 years. I'm surprised at what a bum I was. My poor mom. I'm also working
on a couple of projects with my son Christopher:
a book on the blues and a book of Bible stories. It's fun working with him.
Further
reading:
Jane
Yolen
Nalo Hopkinson
Brian Selznick
Charles Pierce
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