hey everybody!
what is " the big black and white game" abut .. please ..school paper

Have you read it? What are YOUR initial thoughts?

i havent read it .. i cant find it and i cant go to the library im doing a report on ray bradbury and i need to include all these works ive read most of the< FH451, the martian chronicles, something wicked this way comes , the illustrted man and the lake> but i need to thid one because he was seleceted for the beest american short story with it ... thanks

You can find Ray's story, "The Big Black and White Game" in Ray's collection, THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN, as well as in the 1980 collection published by Knopf, THE STORIES OF RAY BRADBURY. Both books are still in print and can likely be found in either your local library or a local book store.

For anyone who has played any level of organized baseball or has studied the sport and understands its nuances, this story really captures the feel of the game. The imagery is exact, the movements precise, and the irony of the story's outcome (in view of the plot and its conflict) is just. (See my comment in the topic of "You know you are a Ray Bradbury fan if...")

What a party that night! Jazzy-blues music, young dancers dressed to the nines, and the perspective of a young boy (RB) looking in through a dance hall window admiring his hero, Big Poe!

If you are a long time fan of Mr. Bradbury and have not read this one, definitely check out Richard's leads for getting a copy into your hands. Enjoy!

I think I'll read it tonite.

It's a good story, in that I still remember it after reading it only once as a very young child (nine years old).

"The Big Black-and-White Game" probably owes much to Ray's brother, Leonard "Skip" Bradbury. He was a great athlete in school and Ray attended his games and doubtless observed much although as far as I know he never played himself. "Skip" and his father, also named Leonard, were at a baseball game when Ray was born. They left for the game, no Ray. When they came back...
THERE WAS RAY! (and already taking notes.)

I think the big black and white game is important because it shows Rays forsight on racial relations pre-civil Rights

I first read "The Big Black and White Game" when I was about 12 years old, during my reading of Ray's collection, THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN, in which the story appears (my first Bradbury book). While I loved baseball and enjoyed the story as a sports fan, it immediately hit me at another, far more significant level. It was the first story that I could recall reading as a child that dealt with the subject of racism and racial prejudice. It made a huge impact on me as a youngster.

Eight or more years too late for the original poster***, alas, but here's a nice little essay on "The Big Black and White Game":

http://sjcrown.com/ray-bradbury/


***I wonder if he/she is still in high school, held back for eight years for their inability to complete their essay assignment...