Chapter 1 Summary

The Sportswriter by Richard Ford is an introspective novel about a sportswriter who has found himself at a crossroads in his life with no clear idea of which fork to take. Frank Bascombe lost his son to Reye's Syndrome. Frank fell into a sort of dream state after this event, leading him to a rash of behaviors that left his marriage in ruins. Now Frank is alone, lost within his own grief. The Sportswriter is a novel of one man's struggle to survive the mundane of daily life after tragedy that will leave its readers inspired.

Frank Bascombe is waiting for his wife in a cemetery in the pre-dawn hours. Today is his son's birthday. It has become a ritual for Frank and his wife to meet at their son's grave on his birthday. While Frank waits, he thinks about his wife, who...