Review of 1989 By Vince Omni
A novellete about basketball and brotherhood
When an author’s prose effuses passion, we have no problem jumping into their palm and being carried for a ride because we know they’ll handle us with as much care as they would a dove, or their last dime. Vince Omni is one of those authors, and 1989 is that kind of story.
The story begins with a simple plot that soon unfurls in all kinds of delightful ways. Davyon, now a middle-aged man, is being interviewed by a journalist interested his brief encounter in 1989 with the closeted ex-NBA player, Church. While practicing for his high school basketball team, Davyon comes across the sadistic, yet talented baller, Tyree. He challenges the bully in a one-on-one and loses, but Church admires the kid’s gumption and takes him under his wing. Their relationship is delicate and spiky; Davyon harbors his own thinly-veiled prejudices and flinches at times when Church gets close to him, but over time they loosen up and become sincere with one another, and their relationship becomes a substitute for the one Davyon never had with his father.
The imagery in this story is so rich and poignant that I felt nostalgic for the era, even though I wouldn’t be born for another five years. Campus campaigns against apartheid, boxers worn over shorts, the Arsenio Hall Show. The book is poetic, and an essential read for everyone, even if you don’t know anything about the sport. Omni approaches basketball the same way Richard Powers approaches trees, with so much zeal and care that even a novice could be moved. As Pemi Aguda notes in the foreword.
Yes the language is basketball, but the story is compelling and universal and Omni has succeeded in inviting the rest of the world in. - Pemi Aguda
At times Omni’s rhythm matches the ball’s movement, quick and concise. But he can also build an atmosphere, and draft a beautiful scene when needed.
I went to bed around midnight. Outside, voices rose from the projects across the street. Bass from a passing car thudded against the night. I felt it’s vibration in bed. I imagine sound waves shooting out the back of somebody’s trunk, rearranging molecules and atoms, rippling across the atmosphere like a tsunami. (Omni, 23)
If at any point the year 2026 proves to be too overwhelming for you, then I’d suggest spending some time with Vince Omni’s dazzling, capacious novellete, 1989.