cover image The Best American Sports Writing 1993

The Best American Sports Writing 1993

Frank Deford. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $10.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-395-63323-6

This collection proves again that some of the best current American journalism is on the sports pages. The book contradicts Deford's assertion that sports writers should be held to a higher standard of craftsmanship because ``sports is rarely significant in the grand scheme of things. . . . '' For example, the battle over Islamic fundamentalism is at the heart of Kenny Moore's profile of Algeria's track stars Noureddine Morceli and Hassiba Boulmerka, a woman who must run in shorts, much to the outrage of the clerics. Mitch Albom takes an example of random gunplay on a basketball court and, through his fine reporting, elevates it to the level of tragedy. There's also a hilarious piece by Roy Blount Jr., detailing his humiliating experiences at a race-car driving school. Dave Barry brings a pleasantly irreverent spin to the over-covered joys of small-town minor-league baseball and Donna Tartt offers some insight into class struggle in high school in her reminiscence of her days as a cheerleader. Finally, if it proves nothing else, this volume reaffirms the excellence of the staff of Sports Illustrated ; the magazine is represented by four of the strongest articles in the book. Deford is an SI alum and a sports columnist for National Public Radio. (Nov.)