A great writer creates a world of his own and his readers are proud to live in it.

Cyril Connolly

In my role as chairman of The Great Fenway Park Writers Series for the Red Sox, I tried several times to persuade John Updike, the literary immortal, to come to Fenway and speak at one of our luncheons. I thought it would be an easy sale, as Mr. Updike lived not far away in Beverly Farms, but to my very great regret those efforts failed – and now the great man is gone.

On March 2nd, 2005, in the Great Rotunda of the Capitol of the United States, President George W. Bush presented to Rachel Robinson the Congressional Gold Medal, given posthumously in honor of her late husband, Jackie Robinson. Ms. Robinson’s daughter, Sharon, and her son, David, were present at the special ceremony, as were Congressional leaders and more than 500 people.The Congressional Gold Medal given Mr. Robinson took place 58 years after he became the first black player in major league baseball. It is worthy of note that the first recipient of the Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award, was first presented to George Washington.