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Sunday You Learn How to Box
Strength and resilience fuel an urban teen’s fight for survival in this acclaimed novel from Bil Wright that “delivers a knock-out punch” ( Venus Magazine ).
Fourteen-year-old Louis Bowman lives in a boxing ring—a housing project circa 1968—and is fighting “just to get to the end of the round.” Sharing the ring is his mother, Jeanette Stamps, a ferociously stubborn woman battling for her own dreams to be realized; his stepfather, Ben Stamps, the would-be savior, who becomes the sparring partner to them both; and the enigmatic Ray Anthony Robinson, the neighborhood “hoodlum” in purple polyester pants, who sets young Louis’s heart spinning with the first stirrings of sexual longing.
Bil Wright deftly evokes an unrelenting world with quirky humor and a clear-eyed perspective in this “deeply felt coming-of-age novel” that “reads like the best of memoirs” ( School Library Journal ).
Fourteen-year-old Louis Bowman lives in a boxing ring—a housing project circa 1968—and is fighting “just to get to the end of the round.” Sharing the ring is his mother, Jeanette Stamps, a ferociously stubborn woman battling for her own dreams to be realized; his stepfather, Ben Stamps, the would-be savior, who becomes the sparring partner to them both; and the enigmatic Ray Anthony Robinson, the neighborhood “hoodlum” in purple polyester pants, who sets young Louis’s heart spinning with the first stirrings of sexual longing.
Bil Wright deftly evokes an unrelenting world with quirky humor and a clear-eyed perspective in this “deeply felt coming-of-age novel” that “reads like the best of memoirs” ( School Library Journal ).
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2000
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182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 10, 2012
Extremely dull, dry and boring. No real story, much of the book added nothing to what little plot there was, and the characters were dull and lifeless. Their actions were often inexplicable and/or contradictory. I only read this because of all the great reviews it got; I don't feel that it came close to living up the reviews.
June 21, 2025
A really great book! We follow Louis a young black man growing up in the projects. His story is broken into scenes that often jump in time quite a bit between chapters. His close relationship with his mother is made difficult when her mother marries a man who sees Louis as feminine and takes it upon himself to “toughen him up” through weekly boxing lessons. The book is really quite heartbreaking and at times difficult to read because of that.
December 3, 2017
SNAPSHOT:
Louis Bowman’s conversational first person narration details how he survives the projects, his casually cruel stepfather, and neighborhood bullies–all while coming into his own as a young gay man of color in 1960s Connecticut. Like a soft love-song melody, Louis’ story, snatched up and brushed off for a reprinting with a new publisher, will stay with readers long after they’ve heard it.
Because he was more of a sensitive kid, interested more in reading and listening to his mother’s daydreaming of her brush with fame than fighting or learning how to ride a bike, adults and peers alike singled Louis out for abuse. Even his mother succumbs to pressure, put on her by Louis’ stepfather, to teach him to ‘man up’. He is pushed beyond his own desires by the expectations of others, not appreciated by his family and community for the intelligent, gentle person he is.
The secondary characters shine, as well. Ray Anthony in particular is a wonderful example of how sometimes the people who support us the most emotionally aren’t related to us; and how ‘bad kids’ can still be very good people.
Appropriate for ages 14+. Strong language, violence, intense and difficult situations. Deals with sexual and personal identity, domestic abuse, bullying, family and community, and making a better future for yourself.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
– Enjoy realistic historical fiction of days not so long past
– Need more sensitive young men narrating your tales
– Ever wondered what it was like to be an urban teen struggling with LGBT issues
– Have ever felt a love that crept in and took hold while you weren’t looking
[[Review originally featured at https://youngentertainmentmag.com/sun... ]]
Louis Bowman’s conversational first person narration details how he survives the projects, his casually cruel stepfather, and neighborhood bullies–all while coming into his own as a young gay man of color in 1960s Connecticut. Like a soft love-song melody, Louis’ story, snatched up and brushed off for a reprinting with a new publisher, will stay with readers long after they’ve heard it.
Because he was more of a sensitive kid, interested more in reading and listening to his mother’s daydreaming of her brush with fame than fighting or learning how to ride a bike, adults and peers alike singled Louis out for abuse. Even his mother succumbs to pressure, put on her by Louis’ stepfather, to teach him to ‘man up’. He is pushed beyond his own desires by the expectations of others, not appreciated by his family and community for the intelligent, gentle person he is.
The secondary characters shine, as well. Ray Anthony in particular is a wonderful example of how sometimes the people who support us the most emotionally aren’t related to us; and how ‘bad kids’ can still be very good people.
Appropriate for ages 14+. Strong language, violence, intense and difficult situations. Deals with sexual and personal identity, domestic abuse, bullying, family and community, and making a better future for yourself.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
– Enjoy realistic historical fiction of days not so long past
– Need more sensitive young men narrating your tales
– Ever wondered what it was like to be an urban teen struggling with LGBT issues
– Have ever felt a love that crept in and took hold while you weren’t looking
[[Review originally featured at https://youngentertainmentmag.com/sun... ]]
June 6, 2018
A wonderful book about a young, gay, black pre-teen living in a housing complex in Connecticut. Louis has his share of things to deal with, his families poverty, his stepfather, and a family who suspects he is gay but won't deal with it directly. Things change when he meets an older boy who presents himself as tough and then reveals another side of himself.
November 14, 2013
Fourteen-year-old Louis Bowman lives his life from round to round in Bil Wright's Sunday You Learn How to Box. Wright tells the tale of Louis' battles with his alcoholic mother and with his violent stepfather, which both ending tragically, making it all seem realistic. Wright's easy to read writing helps his readers gage into the mind of a young teen-ager, exposing emotions and urges. Although family troubles are bringing Louis’s reputation lower and lower, he fights to win attention from the king hood rat Ray Anthony Robison
Louis and his mother are living in the projects with hopes and dreams of getting out. She works days at Saks Fifth Avenue and evenings cleaning offices in order to save money. Marrying Ben becomes part of her grand scheme to move her life somewhere better. After his mother marries, Louis watches his family's money situation worsen. His mom gets pregnant and Ben treats him horribly, calling him a sissy and hitting him. The only sweet times in Louis' life are Saturdays after he and his mom have cleaned the floors. His mom sends him to the store for scotch, which she drinks while he has soda. The more alcohol his mother consumes, the more willing she becomes to tell Louis about his real father and about her life back in Harlem when she was younger. Louis loves to listen to his mother's Billie Holiday records while his mother tells him about the time she met the singer and designed some clothes for her.
One Christmas Louis' mother buys him a bike for Christmas. She insists that Louis go right outside and teach himself how to ride, despite the snow and ice on the ground. Louis falls off many times and the neighborhood boys mock him. Ben comes out to help teach him how to ride and he ends up making fun of Louis, too. It turns out that sexy Ray Anthony Robinson is the only man who can motivate Louis to learn to ride his bike. His disarming sex appeal convinces Louis that bike-riding is worthwhile. Louis' mother and Ben decide to teach Louis how to box so he can defend himself. Every Sunday Ben and Louis fight each other in the living room and every Sunday, Louis loses every the fight. The only times Louis was ever truly happy is when he would see Ray. As his man-crush with the man grows, Louis actually gets up the courage to talk to and befriend him. He even calls him on the telephone after a fluke meeting on the subway leads to Ray giving Louis his telephone number. Ray becomes Louis’s idol and role model.
In his living room, Louis fights a losing battle. But Robinson, described almost comically in his purple, polyester pants proves to be the man in the corner of the ring giving him motivation to keep fighting.
Wright succeeds in creating a simple story that can reach his audience, move his audience, and touch many others, regardless of their connection to AIDS or the gay community.
Louis and his mother are living in the projects with hopes and dreams of getting out. She works days at Saks Fifth Avenue and evenings cleaning offices in order to save money. Marrying Ben becomes part of her grand scheme to move her life somewhere better. After his mother marries, Louis watches his family's money situation worsen. His mom gets pregnant and Ben treats him horribly, calling him a sissy and hitting him. The only sweet times in Louis' life are Saturdays after he and his mom have cleaned the floors. His mom sends him to the store for scotch, which she drinks while he has soda. The more alcohol his mother consumes, the more willing she becomes to tell Louis about his real father and about her life back in Harlem when she was younger. Louis loves to listen to his mother's Billie Holiday records while his mother tells him about the time she met the singer and designed some clothes for her.
One Christmas Louis' mother buys him a bike for Christmas. She insists that Louis go right outside and teach himself how to ride, despite the snow and ice on the ground. Louis falls off many times and the neighborhood boys mock him. Ben comes out to help teach him how to ride and he ends up making fun of Louis, too. It turns out that sexy Ray Anthony Robinson is the only man who can motivate Louis to learn to ride his bike. His disarming sex appeal convinces Louis that bike-riding is worthwhile. Louis' mother and Ben decide to teach Louis how to box so he can defend himself. Every Sunday Ben and Louis fight each other in the living room and every Sunday, Louis loses every the fight. The only times Louis was ever truly happy is when he would see Ray. As his man-crush with the man grows, Louis actually gets up the courage to talk to and befriend him. He even calls him on the telephone after a fluke meeting on the subway leads to Ray giving Louis his telephone number. Ray becomes Louis’s idol and role model.
In his living room, Louis fights a losing battle. But Robinson, described almost comically in his purple, polyester pants proves to be the man in the corner of the ring giving him motivation to keep fighting.
Wright succeeds in creating a simple story that can reach his audience, move his audience, and touch many others, regardless of their connection to AIDS or the gay community.
March 18, 2021
As the story opens Ben Stamp, troubled Louis Bowman’s stepfather has just died following a family row. It had seemed that Ben might have given Louis the means to overcome all his problems by teaching him how to box, but now that it’s just him and his mother and Louis retells his difficult life so far and ongoing events as they unfold.
Louis is different from other boys and suffers the consequences, being the target of bullying. He is also embarrassed that he responds to and enjoys the physical groping from a married man he encounters on several occasions while travelling the train to visit his grandfather. Not surprisingly he is having difficulties handling all his problems and so is sent for a course of regular psychiatric help.
I found this a lively and delicious story; Louis is a lovable character despite his often self-imposed problems. While he establishes a warm relationship with his therapist, his real saviour comes in a most unlikely form, the flamboyant Ray Anthony Robinson, the local rogue, both feared and respected. It occurs shortly after Ben is given a new bike for Christmas and after his first real encounter with Ray when he grabbed and then rode off on the bike; much to Ben’s surprise he returned the bike safely. The next time Louis takes his bike out he is physically set upon by some local bullies, to his surprise rescue comes when Ray intervenes on his behalf. There begins a strange but most endearing relationship between the two boys that builds to a most heart-warming and triumphant climax.
Louis is different from other boys and suffers the consequences, being the target of bullying. He is also embarrassed that he responds to and enjoys the physical groping from a married man he encounters on several occasions while travelling the train to visit his grandfather. Not surprisingly he is having difficulties handling all his problems and so is sent for a course of regular psychiatric help.
I found this a lively and delicious story; Louis is a lovable character despite his often self-imposed problems. While he establishes a warm relationship with his therapist, his real saviour comes in a most unlikely form, the flamboyant Ray Anthony Robinson, the local rogue, both feared and respected. It occurs shortly after Ben is given a new bike for Christmas and after his first real encounter with Ray when he grabbed and then rode off on the bike; much to Ben’s surprise he returned the bike safely. The next time Louis takes his bike out he is physically set upon by some local bullies, to his surprise rescue comes when Ray intervenes on his behalf. There begins a strange but most endearing relationship between the two boys that builds to a most heart-warming and triumphant climax.
August 3, 2013
Wright, Bil / Sunday you learn how to box
Scribner 2000
Louis bowman is a sissy, he knows it, his mom knows it and so do the kids in his neighborhood, and they remind him of it with daily beatings.
Louis lives with his mother, step father Ben, and little sister in public housing project in a Connecticut suburb of New York City.
The beatings he gets from the neighbor kids prompts his mother to make him take boxing lessons every Sunday from his step father, who uses these opportunities to knock Louis around the apartment.
The only thing that gives him respite from his hard life, is the crush he has on Ray Anthony Robinson, a teenage hoodlum, who runs around the projects in shiny purple pants and patent leather shoes.
Scribner 2000
Louis bowman is a sissy, he knows it, his mom knows it and so do the kids in his neighborhood, and they remind him of it with daily beatings.
Louis lives with his mother, step father Ben, and little sister in public housing project in a Connecticut suburb of New York City.
The beatings he gets from the neighbor kids prompts his mother to make him take boxing lessons every Sunday from his step father, who uses these opportunities to knock Louis around the apartment.
The only thing that gives him respite from his hard life, is the crush he has on Ray Anthony Robinson, a teenage hoodlum, who runs around the projects in shiny purple pants and patent leather shoes.
July 27, 2016
Set in 1968, in the projects. Louis is 14 years old, living with his mom and step-dad. His mom dreams of moving out of the projects someday. His step-dad is lazy and mean. Louis is just a teen trying to figure things out, including friendship and his own sexuality. One of the most interesting characters is Anthony Robinson, the neighborhood "hoodlum" who dresses in purple polyester pants - and catches Louis' eye...
November 23, 2008
This was a charming, but at times sorrowful, story about a young black boy who didn't fit in at home, in his neighborhood, or at school, who is experiencing his first crush. This bright young man, because of his inability to be "normal," was seen as a problem by this mother and others. Masterfully written, Bil Wright spins a tale of longing and love.
March 13, 2009
i read this years ago and remember loving it. it's on my book shelf, and i just glanced at it when realizing i should probably add a book to my goodreads account.
i barely remember what actually happens, so i should probably reread it to see if this rating holds. in any case, i now have (1) book in my account as opposed to (0).
i barely remember what actually happens, so i should probably reread it to see if this rating holds. in any case, i now have (1) book in my account as opposed to (0).
December 13, 2014
It's the at 1960s and 14 year old Louis is trying to figure out how to live with a mother and stepfather with problems of their own and the awareness that he will never be the boy either of them think he should be.
Bil Wright knocks it out of the park!
Please read!
Bil Wright knocks it out of the park!
Please read!
June 4, 2014
Read this in one day over about five hours. Guess that means I liked it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews