21W.015  Writing and Rhetoric: Writing about Sports

… for really good writers, sports offers an opportunity to express all the pleasure and passion of life.

— Nicholas Dawidoff, “The Power and Glory of Sportswriting"

In this Writing and Rhetoric class we examine the role of sports in American culture at large and our individual lives. From football, basketball and baseball through tennis, horse racing and distance running, the vast variety of sports has produced a vast body of wonderfully sharp writing and thrilling movies. Sports can be one of the most important formative elements in our lives, teaching us team spirit, discipline and how to excel. Or they can make us supreme couch potatoes, cheering on our teams as we consume vast quantities of snack foods and beer. They creates heroes at the same time that they raise ethical conundrums—from gender equality and the proper role of sports in college life to gambling and concussions. Sports are media darlings, big business, and their own branch of medicine. As part of our exploration of the role of sports in American culture, we will read essays and articles by writers such as Malcolm Gladwell, David Remnick, David Foster Wallace, and previous 21W.035 students. Readings will serve to get us thinking and provide models of good writing; they’ll provide inspiration and discussion points for your essays.

Writers will craft 3 essays that reflect on their own experience as participants or viewers of a sport, that reflect on issues related to sports, and that research and explore a sports-related topic in depth. Revision and workshopping are an important part of the class’s work. An oral presentation will be required on a book to be chosen from a list offering many choices.