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 relationsh…
