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This author appeared at the 2009 festival. Please view the list of authors appearing at this year's festival or see our suggestions for similar authors below.
 W.K. Stratton
Boxing Shadows is Stratton's exceptionally honest account of Anissa "The Assassin" Zamarron's life. The two-time world champion boxer describes how her long-time mental illnesses and self-destructive habits reappeared as an adult when boxing alone wasn't able to keep them away. The gruesome descriptions of self-mutilation and drug addictions read like pages from Zamarron's diary, painful and truthful, including her account of the 18 months she spent tied to a bed in a corrupt (and now closed) for-profit mental hospital. Boxing allowed her to use her aggression in the ring, keeping her safe from losing control in real life. Despite the odds, Zamarron excelled in boxing, fighting in more than 30 professional fights and more 10-round fights than any woman before her. Zamarron collaborated with Stratton in telling her story to show young women, especially Latinas, that they can achieve goals that often seem unattainable. Stratton's other well-known works include Backyard Brawl, a reflection on the rivalry between the University of Texas and Texas A&M, and Chasing the Rodeo, which explores the myths and realities of the modern-day rodeo. An avid fan of boxing, Stratton practices at Richard Lord's Gym, like Zamarron, in Austin.
On the web: Click Here
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