W.P. Kinsella, author of timeless novel 'Shoeless Joe,' dies at 81
Author W.P. Kinsella, whose well-received baseball novel “Shoeless Joe” was adapted into the iconic film “Field of Dreams,” has died at age 81.
According to multiple reports, the Canadian-born writer ended his own life under the country’s medically assisted-dying law. Canada is one of the few countries where doctors can legally help sick people die.
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CBC News also notes that Kinsella had recently returned to writing for the first time since suffering a head injury in a 1997 car accident. For years, he lost the desire to write and create, but according to his literary agency rediscovered it in time to create one final project. His final novel is slated to be published and released next year.
As Chad Thornburg of MLB.com writes, much of Kinsella’s writing was focused on baseball. “Shoeless Joe,” which was published in 1982, was by far his most famous work. The magical story of Shoeless Joe and the Iowa farmer who brings baseball legends back to life by building a baseball diamond in his cornfield captured the imagination of more than just baseball fans. Through both the book and the movie, it’s also captured the imagination of multiple generations.
That ability to connect with the audience and bring it together is what every writer aspires to do. W.P. Kinsella not only accomplished that goal, he delivered a timeless masterpiece that could best be described as a literary home run.
We’ll miss his work, but we’ll always be thankful he shared his creativity with us.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
