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Davis Miller
View on WikipediaDavis Miller is an American author, notable for a series of works that combine reportage and autobiography. Miller's books include The Tao of Muhammad Ali and The Tao of Bruce Lee: a martial arts memoir,[1][2] as well as The Zen of Muhammad Ali: and other obsessions, a collection of personal essays, memoir and short fiction that was published exclusively in the U.K. His most recent book is Approaching Ali: A Reclamation in Three Acts.[3]
Career
[edit]Muhammad Ali was a childhood influence on Miller, and he was in college when first met Ali in 1975. He had a chance to spar with Ali at his training camp in Deer Lake, and he wrote of his experience in an article which was published in Sports Illustrated in 1981.[4][5] Years later in 1988 when he was working in Louisville, Kentucky, he met Ali again at Ali's mother's house, he was invited for dinner with Ali and they became friends.[6] He wrote a long article on their encounter titled "My Dinner with Ali", which was first published by Louisville Courier-Journal Magazine and then in a number of publications including Sport and Esquire magazines in 1989.[7][8] This article won a number of awards, and was judged the best essay published in a U.S. newspaper magazine in 1989 by Sunday Magazine Editors Association.[9][10]
Miller became the sportswriter on boxing for Sport magazine in 1989.[9]
The Tao of Muhammad Ali
[edit]Miller's first book, The Tao of Muhammad Ali: a fathers and sons memoir, was published in hardcover in December 1996 by Warner Books and in trade paperback in January 1997 by Vintage U.K.[11] The book has been an international bestseller, reaching number one in the UK,[12] Australia and Japan, where it was published by Aoyama Publishing.
Miller wrote a radio play of The Tao of Muhammad Ali, which was broadcast in six parts in January 1998 by BBC Radio 4.[citation needed]
The Tao of Muhammad Ali was produced as an eight-episode immersive podcast series by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment & Television. The series, which is also titled The Tao of Muhammad Ali premiered on iHeartMedia in 2024.[13]
Approaching Ali the chamber opera
[edit]An opera was developed from "The Tao of Muhammad Ali" and "My Dinner with Ali" for the Washington National Opera by composer D. J. Sparr. Along with Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell, Davis Miller wrote the libretto for the opera, which received its world premiere in June 2013 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[14] The opera has since received productions in various U.S. cities, including Raleigh,[15] Las Vegas, Baton Rouge and Asheville.[16] The title of the opera is Approaching Ali.[17]
A book, titled Approaching Ali: A Reclamation in Three Acts, was also published in 2015.[18][19]
Personal life
[edit]Miller has four children.[citation needed]
Bibliography
[edit]The following is a partial list of publications by Davis Miller:[citation needed]
Books
[edit]Approaching Ali: A Reclamation in Three Acts: W. W. Norton/Liveright, March 2016; Errata Naturae (Spain), September 2016.
The Zen of Muhammad Ali: and other obsessions: Vintage UK, January 2003.
The Tao of Bruce Lee: a martial arts memoir: Vintage UK, January 2000; Crown Publishing, August 2000.
The Tao of Muhammad Ali: a fathers and sons memoir: Warner Books, November 1996; Vintage, UK, February 1997; Aoyama Publishing (Japan), August 1998; Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press, September 1999.
Anthologized Stories
[edit]My Dinner with Ali: The Muhammad Ali Reader (Ecco Press, 1998); The Best American Sports Writing of the Century (Houghton Mifflin, 1999),[8] The Beholder's Eye: America's Finest Personal Journalism (Grove/Atlantic, 2005).
The Zen of Muhammad Ali: The Best American Sports Writing, 1994 (Houghton Mifflin, 1994); GOAT: The Greatest of All Time, A Tribute to Muhammad Ali (Taschen, 2004).
Literary Nonfiction for Magazines, Newspapers, Radio and Online Publication
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2025) |
Five Last Rounds in Louisville: Approaching Ali, (Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2015); SBNation, October 2015.
Zen Cowboys: National Public Radio's All Things Considered, April 2007; Austin (Texas) American Statesman, October 8, 1999; Triad Style, October 5, 1999; Louisville Courier-Journal Saturday Magazine, October 2, 1999; Attache magazine, August 1998.
Dancing with Ali: Melbourne (Australia) Age, February 4, 2007; Los Angeles Times, Detroit News and National Public Radio's All Things Considered, January 17, 2007; Louisville Courier-Journal, (Oklahoma City) ''Oklahoman and Winston-Salem Journal, January 14, 2007.
The Best Father: Melbourne (Australia) Age, Raleigh News and Observer and (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, June 17, 2007; San Antonio Express-News, June 18, 2006; Western Mail Saturday Magazine (Cardiff, Wales), June 17, 2006; Washington Post and Boston Globe Magazine, June 2003; Richmond Times-Dispatch and Winston-Salem Journal, June 2002; Candis magazine, May 1998.
My Dinner with Ali: Deadspin, June 2013; The Beholder's Eye: America's Finest Personal Journalism (Grove/Atlantic, 2005); The Best American Sports Writing of the Century (Houghton Mifflin, 1999); The Muhammad Ali Reader (Ecco Press,1998); Winston-Salem Journal and Detroit Free Press Magazine, June 1990; Sport magazine, May 1989; Louisville Courier-Journal Sunday Magazine, January 8, 1989.
The Zen of Muhammad Ali: GOAT: The Greatest of All Time, A Tribute to Muhammad Ali (Taschen, 2004); The Best American Sports Writing 1994 (Houghton Mifflin); Penthouse (South Africa), July 1994; Playboy (Japan and Germany), March 1994; cover story in 1994 and late 1993 for newspaper magazines published by the Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Louisville Courier-Journal, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Independent on Sunday, Melbourne (Australia) Age, Detroit Free Press, Dallas Morning News, Buffalo News, (New York) Newsday, and Denver Post; and as a cover piece for features sections of numerous newspapers, including the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Seattle Times, Winston-Salem Journal, Toledo Blade, South Ireland Independent, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, Grand Rapids Press, Indianapolis Star, and Folha de S.Paulo (Brazil); Esquire, September 1992.
Bruce Lee, American: Honolulu Advertiser, August 7, 2003; AMCTV.com, July 2002; Richmond Times Dispatch, June 30, 2002; Hotdog magazine, April 2001; (London) Independent on Sunday Review, December 5, 1999; Winston-Salem Journal, November 17, 1998; Arena, October 1998; M Quarterly (Japan), October 1997; Panorama (Australia), July 1997; Men's Journal, February 1997; Esquire, September 1993.
Wanting to Whup Sugar Ray: a notable sports story, The Best American Sports Writing, 1992 (Houghton Mifflin, 1992); Sport magazine, March 1991; Washington Post Magazine, February 2, 1991.[20]
Rapture: Sport magazine, July 1989.
References
[edit]- ^ Kawakami, Tim (December 4, 1996). "'The Tao of Muhammad Ali'". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Miller, Davis (December 5, 1999). "Tales of the Dragon". The Independent.
- ^ Neal, Dale (November 27, 2015). "Asheville man writes of relationship with Ali". The Citizen Times.
- ^ McGhee, Ali. "Muhammad Ali Biographer Davis Miller To Speak at Malaprop's". Asheville Grit.
- ^ Littlefield, Bill (December 12, 2015). "Approaching Ali' Offers Unmatched Personal Account Of Boxer's Life Beyond The Ring". WBUR.
- ^ Miller, Davis (August 5, 2015). "From the archives:: Jumping into the ring, and into life, with Muhammad Ali". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Benton, Hayley (October 7, 2016). "Local author's 'Approaching Ali' hits Asheville stage". Ashville Citizen Times.
- ^ a b Miller, Davis (June 7, 2013). "My Dinner With Ali". Deadspin.
- ^ a b Velin, Bob (June 6, 2013). "Opera based on lives of Ali, writer who idolized him". USA Today.
- ^ "From the archives:: Muhammad Ali: Still nifty at 50".
- ^ Miller, Davis (January 25, 1997). "A Magnificent Obsession". The Independent.
- ^ "This Week's Top 10 Sports Books". The Independent. February 3, 1997.
- ^ Earl, William (June 12, 2023). "Isaac Mizrahi Interview Show, Ron Howard Comedy and True Crime From 1980s L.A. Punk Scene Lead Imagine Audio's Podcast Slate for iHeartMedia". Variety.
- ^ Midgette, Anne (June 7, 2013). "'Approaching Ali,' the second stage of WNO's effort to foster new American opera". Thee Washington Post.
- ^ Dicks, Roy C. (January 24, 2015). "Soloman Howard talks about portraying Muhammad Ali for NC Opera". The News Observer.
- ^ Burkhardt, Timothy (October 12, 2016). "Asheville Lyric Opera stages Muhammad Ali production". Mountain Xpress.
- ^ Schweitzer, Vivien (June 10, 2013). "New Ring For Legend Of Boxing: Opera Stage". The New York Times.
- ^ "An Unlikely Friendship Sheds Light On Muhammad Ali's Life After Boxing". WBUR. June 8, 2016.
- ^ "Ali 'The Greatest' subject, author says Davis Miller". Detroit News. November 11, 2015.
- ^ Miller, Davis (February 2, 1991). "The Man Who Wanted to Fight Sugar Ray". Washington Post.
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