Back in the Game

Saturday I enjoyed sharing a cup of coffee with school counselor and amazing writer, Amy Goodwin. Time zipped by as we talked a topic I love....sports novels. You see, Amy has written a YA novel about a female sportscaster. I so enjoyed chatting about writing books such as hers. In a way, I felt like Brett Favre, back in the game hashing out aspects of the genre.

I've written a couple sports novels and wrote my VCFA critical thesis  about the these critters. Truthfully, my research began to take shape when I came across the fine work of a great guy named Chris Crowe. (Actually, a dear friend and VCFA classmate, Carol Lynch Williams, introduced me to Chris and his philosophy regarding these stories.) With Crowe's book More Than a Game: Sports Literature for Young Adults in hand, my foot was placed squarely on the reference starting block, ready to run.

Chris has been passionate about upper middle-grade and YA sports novels for years, books he calls the 'sportlerroman', novels in which the protagonist is an athlete.  Like an literary equipment bag, these characters pack their unique connection to sport and carry it with them throughout the story. Athleticism and everything that goes with it is part of their character. Yet, the best of these novels have to do with so much more than just game action. Oh, yes. These are coming-of-age stories in which a character uses their connection with the game to find their way in the world. 

I learned so many things writing that thesis. For example, I discovered three distinct ways that an authors approach writing a sportlerroman, ways that I feel are predetermined by the author's connection to sport. I traced the history of the female athlete as conveyed in story, discovered how a character's connection to sport moves the plot trajectory, and many other fascinating things. In short, I hit a home run with this topic.

Hey, why don't we chew the fat about sportlerroman, like Amy and I did? What do you say? Sound good?   

Comments

[Amy Goodwin]

Hey Debbie,
You were Brett Favre and I was Dan Marino...in the days he used to still play football and not do Nutrisystem commercials.
We had a great afternoon. I could have talked with you forever. Interesting reference, the Chris Crowe book. I've never heard the term Sportlerroman, but I like it. It rolls right off my tongue. I can't wait to read your sports books!!!
Amy