Playing Ball with Ezra Pound

Playing ball with Ezra Pound is a true story. We were a group of friends who played ball frequently in 1950’s Washington, DC. Once a year there were league games that took place in a field behind the Whitehouse. We were sure Truman was watching us. Our team Alfandre Realty beat the Oxen hill Ford dealership with a 9th inning single by coolgool, (my moniker) My name appeared in the next morning’s Washington Post. I was famous I thought. We then got in Roger Core’s car. Roger, the only person that had a car. Bob Duvall’s father was the superintendent of St. Elizabeth’s mental hospital in SE Washington.He thought it would be a good idea if we played ball with the inmates. It would make them happy. So we drove to the hospital.The game began but it seemed we were being bombarded with bats from the inmates. We decided to keep playing but without bats and balls. The inmates couldn’t tell the difference.On the side of the field were a group of people eating a picnic lunch. One of them came over to speak with me. Ezra Pound. I was in a state of shock. He was an inmate there for the last 15 years.He asked me a lot of questions. Such as my name Gould. Gould, Gold, He said. You’re a Jew, aren’t you. I knew he was an anti-semite in the highest degree. The game went on and at times he ran on to the field and wanted to be an umpire. Fun was had by all.