Rediscovering Faith and Legacy: A Conversation with Mark Connor
In this episode of 'The Science of Self,' we welcome Mark Connor from St. Paul, Minnesota, a former competitive boxer turned boxing trainer and writer. Mark introduces his book, 'It's About Time: Millions of Copies Sold for Dad,' an autobiographical saga interwoven with poetry that explores his life, his relationship with his late father, and his spiritual journey. Mark discusses his re-embrace of his Catholic faith, the influence of his Irish heritage, and his deep connection with the Native American community through his work at a youth shelter. He also touches on the discipline and routine required in both writing and boxing, and the importance of taking the first step to achieve one's goals. Join us for a heartfelt conversation on faith, discipline, and the pursuit of personal excellence.00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:17 Mark Connor's Background and Book Overview01:43 Faith and Personal Journey01:58 Involvement with Native American Community06:47 Cultural and Spiritual Reflections15:28 Reading from the Book32:56 Writing and Discipline37:36 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsIt's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad) is a saga wrapped around a package of poems, guarded by Angels. With a narrative style that reads like a novel, contains a collection of poetry, and shares an autobiography, Mark Connor guides us through a journey of love, family, and life that is ours as much as his own, peaking at the point of merger of difference and unity. Following him from memory to memory, we feel the eyes upon us, defeat the empire of fear, embrace the kingdom of love, and find ten minutes a day to be grateful. All the while, we celebrate the city of Saint Paul (with a friendly nod to Minneapolis), experience Irish influence in neighborhood life, rooted in Catholic cohesion, embraced by indigenous America in the medicine wheel. We box the perfect metaphor with future world champions, love beauty in a moment of ambivalence, work on a fishing boat in Southeast Alaska, comfort a child in an American Indian shelter for kids, and guard American Indian buildings, with guns, in riots. Through it all, we honor Dad, mourning his death and remembering his love, sharing a story written for America, valuing fatherhood, defending family, encouraging marriage, and providing hope.Mark Connor is a Literary Pugilist from Saint Paul, Minnesota. A lifelong boxer and Boxing Trainer, he runs a service called, Fighting Chance/Boxing For Life. His writing about Boxing, as well as his training services, can be found at https: //BoxersAndWritersMagazine.com. He writes fiction, poetry, and journalism. He is the 2022 Boxing inductee to the Mancini's St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Regis University in Denver, Colorado, and graduated with a BA in English from the University of Minnesota. He has written and published many articles about Boxing, Irish culture, and people and events related to Irish freedom. He has also published local news and features on business, politics, and current affairs in Minnesota and the U.S. His Substack newsletter, Irish, Catholic, Punchdrunk in Saint Paul, can be found at: https: //markconnoricpunchdrunk.substack.com.
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