Body Language: Writers on Sport (Graywolf Forum)

Sports works its wonders in mysterious ways. "The appeal of sports, especially of high-performance athletics ... is that they permit us to judge people exactly and precisely by what they do." writes Gerald Early, whose powerful Culture of Bruising won the 1994 National Book Critics Circle Award. There are also shades of gray in the equation, and Early riffs on them with gusto in his introductory essay to this smart collection of thoughtful and provocative writers seriously reflecting on various aspects of sports. Ranging from the deeply personal to the keenly reported, they are all finely wrought, often funny, and unfailingly perceptive. The most memorable pieces include Philip Lopate on the mania of being a fan; Jonis Agee on watching rodeo and sumo all night on ESPN; and James A. McPherson's meditation on Athens, Sparta, the jock dorm, and Iowa City.