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William Louis Nack

ウィリアム・ルイス・ナック

Wiriamu Ruisu Nakku

Aliases: Bill Nack / William Nack

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1941-02-04 （Chicago, Illinois）
Died
2018-04-13 （Washington, D.C.） age 77
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Chicago, Illinois → Skokie, Illinois → Long Island, New York → Washington, D.C.

Career

Occupations
Journalist, Author, Film Consultant
Active Years
1966-2018
Affiliations
Newsday, Sports Illustrated
Influenced By
Roger Ebert, Red Smith
Influenced
Laura Hillenbrand
Nominations
Emmy Award nomination (Unsettled Scores pilot)

Education

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Journalism
Degree: Bachelor's
Period: 1962-1966
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: United States
Served as sports editor and editor-in-chief of the Daily Illini

Awards

Eclipse Award Outstanding Magazine Writing
1978
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Outstanding Magazine Writing
1986
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Outstanding Magazine Writing
1989
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Outstanding Magazine Writing
1990
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Outstanding News Writing
1991
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Outstanding Feature Writing
1991
Work: Sports Illustrated
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Eclipse Award Writing - Feature/Enterprise
2003
Work: Gentleman's Quarterly
Organization: NTRA / NTWAB
Result: Winner
Alfred G. Vanderbilt Lifetime Achievement Award
2003
Organization: Thoroughbred Charities of America
Result: Winner
A.J. Liebling Award
2004
Organization: Boxing Writers' Association of America
Result: Winner
PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sportswriting
2017
Organization: PEN American Center
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Secretariat: The Making of a Champion

1975 Sports Nonfiction

Definitive account of the legendary 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

Horse RacingLife of a Champion HorseGlory of Sports
Adaptations
  • [Film] Secretariat / Randall Wallace (2010)

My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money, and the Sporting Life

2004 Essay Collection

Collection of essays on horses, boxers, and the sporting life.

Sports JournalismPersonal Reflections

Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance

2007 Sports Nonfiction

Story of the legendary filly Ruffian and her tragic end.

Horse RacingTragedyPassion
Adaptations
  • [TV Movie] Ruffian / Yves Simoneau (2007)

Bibliography

  • Secretariat: The Making of a Champion (1975)
  • My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money, and the Sporting Life (2004)
  • Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance (2007)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Poetic proseLiterary sports writingNabokovian stylistic elegance
Recurring Motifs
Legendary HorsesBoxers' DramasGlory and Tragedy in Sports

Health

  • Cancer
    2010年代後半
    Cause of death, ending his writing career

Legacy

Regarded as a master of horse racing journalism, won numerous awards for his Sports Illustrated writing with a literary flair.

In Popular Culture

  • His article on Rubin Carter inspired the 1999 film The Hurricane

Quotes

  • The horse I see in memory now looks tall and radiant.
    Source: Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance (2007)
  • Swaps had a large, luminous brown eye, an exquisitely Aegean head and face...
    Source: Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance (2007)

Trivia

  • Could recite every Kentucky Derby winner from 1875 chronologically
  • Memorized the final page of The Great Gatsby in English and Spanish
  • Recited poems by W.B. Yeats and passages from Nabokov's works
  • Known for exuberant, whirling dances at parties