From the sketchbook

I'll admit that I've never been that interested in female boxing. The closest I came was loving F. X. Toole's novella Million Dollar Baby from the Rope Burns collection (and the Eastwood film based on it that I waited forever to see out of fear that it wouldn't live up to the story).

Watching the documentary "T-Rex" about Claressa Shields was an eye opener. It is excellent to see this girl navigate the typical demands of a teenager, family and push for an attempt to win Olympic gold and troubling to watch some of the double standards that exist. The film made me a believer and she has my respect. Highly recommended.