DAYS OF GRACE

Joe Morton gets beneath Ashe's cool, controlled facade in this memoir of the late tennis star. At the start of the program, Morton angrily recounts Ashe's blasting of the press for forcing him to go public concerning his illness. After venting Ashe's frustration, the narrator slips into a calm description of the star's youth and career as a tennis player. In an almost matter-of-fact tone, Morton speaks of the obstacles caused by racism which Ashe overcame to achieve success. The ending haunts the listener as Morton tenderly reads a posthumous letter written by Ashe to his daughter offering his advice on life. Days of Grace is a must not only for its treatment of AIDS, but also for the light it sheds on racism in our society. M.P.T. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 93]