Splash!: Great Writing about Swimming

Though swimming is mentioned in books as ancient as The Odyssey, it's only much more recently that the activity has become a familiar, though not common, literary theme. And so just about all of the 46 stories, poems, essays, letters and book excerpts that comprise this splendid anthology date from the 20th century. Nonetheless, the selections made by Blossom, a poet (Any Minute), cover the waterfront, as it were, fulfilling her mission to ""make the book as representative of the experience of swimming as possible."" From familiar and established writers such as Cheever, Lessing, London, Sexton and Updike to lesser-knowns such as Jewelle Gomez and Linda Svendsen, and Olympic athletes with their accounts of medal-winning triumphs, each of the 45 contributors brings unique insights. Included are a black folk tale, a fantasy novel excerpt, accounts of the agony of long-distance swimming, gay and lesbian stories and some humor from Calvin Trillin. It's hard to imagine what's missing, other than the aquatic poetry of Raymond Carver. With a leisurely crawl, not a speed-stroke, readers will want to explore nearly every selection here. (May)