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August 12, 2016 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Cover of The Joy of Swimming by Lisa CongdonThe Joy of Swimming
by Lisa Congdon
c.2016, Chronicle Books; $18.95; 141 pages

People say you’re all wet.

Maybe that’s not the nicest thing you’ve ever heard but hey! If something’s true, it’s true, right? Yep, you love being in a pool, lake, pond, the ocean, a puddle, it doesn’t matter. And in The Joy of Swimming by Lisa Congdon, you’ll meet like-minded people in swimsuits.

At the tender age of eight, Lisa Congdon learned to love swimming when her mother signed her up for swim team near their California home. It was fun, but it was work, and her interest in swimming declined: life got in the way, school demanded time, injuries happened. It wasn’t until college, after she came out as a lesbian, that Congdon resumed the sport in earnest, and it connected her to the better parts of her life.

Swimmers, as she shows in this book, come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Gertrude Ederle, for instance, was just twenty years old when she swam the English Channel in under 15 hours, a record she held for a quarter-century. Johnny Weissmuller, who later played Tarzan in the movies, was the first person to swim the 100-meter freestyle in less than a minute. Roxanne Winston thinks more black swimmers should “feel inspired to join the sport.” Kimberly Chambers almost lost her leg to “a freak accident,” but she still swims. Chel Micheline finds that being in the water frees her from spina bifida.

But swimming isn’t just about a cool dip in the lake: dog paddling can be embarrassing (unless, of course, you’re a dog!), so you’ll want to know a few basic strokes, the science behind, and the history of which, Congdon explains. You’ll learn a “very brief history” of swimming pools here, too, including where the largest one is located; you’ll read an itsy-bitsy bio on the bikini; and you’ll get quick facts on swimming and the Olympics.

Find out why you’ll want to cover your eyes if you visit an Icelandic locker room. See how even Michael Phelps is slow, compared to a sailfish. Get the real definition of a “swimming hole.” And find out why some people take bandages along when visiting a public pool in Japan.

Seriously, can you ever have a summer without at least one great big cannonball, dead-center in the water? If your answer is to the negative, then The Joy of Swimming is a perfect poolside book for you.

Using old ads, interviews, and her own drawings as illustration, author Lisa Congdon offers readers a bit of quirk for their deck chair. This has the feel of a sketch book or a haphazardly-kept scrapbook with mini-memoirs of the famous, and never-famous, trivia, Olympic facts, statistics, and random thoughts. That messiness is really appealing, and you’ll come to love this book after a few laps around its pages.

Dip your toes in if you dare, or just dive right in. The water’s fine, and so is this book; for mermaid, athlete, or mere fans of the old waterin’ hole, The Joy of Swimming will make a big splash.

Email Terri Schlichenmeyer

‹ August 12, 2016 - Before the Beach by Libby Stiff up August 12, 2016 - Delaware LGBT CINE-brations ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • February 12, 2016 - Issue Index
  • March 11, 2016 - Issue Index
  • April 1, 2016 - Issue Index
  • May 6, 2016 - Issue Index
  • May 20, 2016 - Issue Index
  • June 3, 2016 - Issue Index
  • June 17, 2016 - Issue Index
  • July 1, 2016 - Issue Index
  • July 15, 2016 - Issue Index
  • July 29, 2016 - Issue Index
  • August 12, 2016 - Issue Index
    • August 12, 2016 - The Way I See It by Steve Elkins
    • August 12, 2016 - Speak Out - Letters to Letters
    • August 12, 2016 - In Brief
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMPmatters by Murray Archibald
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMP Out by Fay Jacobs
    • August 12, 2016 - Sundance 2016 by Nancy Sakaduski
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMP Stories by Rich Barnett
    • August 12, 2016 - Straight Talk by David Garrett
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMP Profile by Iris McKenney
    • August 12, 2016 - Before the Beach by Libby Stiff
    • August 12, 2016 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • August 12, 2016 - Delaware LGBT CINE-brations
    • August 12, 2016 - Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi
    • August 12, 2016 - Volunteer Spotlight by Monica Parr
    • August 12, 2016 - Volunteer Thank You
    • August 12, 2016 - Ask the Doctor by Michael J. Hurd, Ph.D., LCSW
    • August 26, 2016 - Rehoboth Short Story Winners
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMPshots Gallery 1
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMPshots Gallery 2
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMPshots Gallery 4
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMP Arts by Doug Yetter
    • August 12, 2016 - CAMP Dates
    • August 12, 2016 - Out Field by Dan Woog
  • August 26, 2016 - Issue Index
  • September 16, 2016 - Issue Index
  • October 21, 2016 - Issue Index
  • November 18, 2016 - Issue Index

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