Overview

In Body Politic, David Shields looks at contemporary America and its mythology through the lens of professional and college sports. The result is an unusually insightful and provocative book about an empire in denial. Shields relentlessly examines the way we tell our sports stories (both fictional and nonfictional), considers the kinds of athletes we choose as heroes, and delineates the lessons and values we glean from sports. He explores the intricate and telling relationships between players and coaches, black and white players, immigrant and native players, male and female players, players and broadcasters, players and fans, and players and advertisers. In the process, he shows us the stories we Americans tell ourselves about the kind of people we believe ourselves to be.

Full Product Details

9780803260320

Table of Contents

Reviews

Sweeping insights . . . an intellectual tour de force. --Steve Weinberg, St. Louis Post-Dispatch --Steve Weinberg St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[Shields elucidates superbly the paradox of sports coverage: although feats of the body seem to defy language, sports is nonetheless 'imprisoned by its prevailing rhetoric.' The ambition in these piercing essays is to discern the reality behind the rhetoric. --Daniel G./i>--Daniel G. Habib Sports Illustrated

Shields has carved out a singular place for himself as the poet of sports writing. -- Regina Hackett Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Author Information

David Shields is a professor of English at the University of Washington and the author of seven previous books, including Heroes: A Novel and Black Planet: Facing Race during an NBA Season, both available in Bison Books editions. Robert Lipsyte, a longtime sports and city columnist for the New York Times, is the author of sixteen books, including most recently the novel Raiders Night.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available