Best American Sports Writing 2011

A heartfelt congrats to all whose work has been honoured.

 

Don't play that game.

Kent BaabBabb jumped out at me, as the first name listed, but I assumed it was just a typo by Sycamore. Are there more?

Edit: Upon closer inspection, I noticed Mark SynottSynnott's name misspelled as well.

Also, upon closer inspection, that's a lot of love for Rodale. Nothing new for Rodale, which has had many pieces make the actual volume in years past (though none made it this year). I did always wonder how many runners and bikers sit down and read those great Steve Friedman, et al., pieces in those magazines.

 

I didn't make it again this year.
But my novel, "Faster than the Speed of Love," is available for signings if anybody is interested.

 

That's not really what it says, "demand" or "to be considered."

Publications that want to be absolutely certain their contributions are considered are advised to provide a complimentary subscription to the address listed below. Those that already do so should make sure to extend the subscription.

It's another method of "making absolutely certain." But he'll accept and read submissions from anybody, regardless of a subscription or not.
[/quote]I saw Glen's explantion. But I'd love to see some evidence that he has considered and included entries from papers who don't provide him with a subscription. And my question stands: With every newspaper from weeklies up on the web, why does he need subscriptions?

 

Novel? I thought that was the title of BYH's autobiography.

 

As I explain each year in the foreward, each year I send a letter to several hundred magazine and newspaper editors requesting submissions. The letters to the magazine editors request, but certainly don't demand, a complimentary subscription to facilitate this whole process. Editors are also encouraged to submit individual stories, and to ask their staffs to do the same as individuals. The number of complimentary subscriptions I receive each year generally varies from between forty or fifty and one hundred.

I never ask the newspaper sports editors to provide a complimentary subscription - that would be insane - and in many forewords have explained that the subscription request - and it is only a request - applies only to magazines. I think most people have understood that, since in twenty-one years only one newspaper misinterpreted and sent me a subscription. So to answer Hondo's question, every newspaper story that has appeared in BASW, from a weekly to a story from a Sunday supplement to a daily, has been from a paper that has not provided a subscription (and by the way, for the last eight years I have lived in a place with no home newspaper delivery, so I am unable to receive any paper on a daily basis anymore - for my own reading I am online dependent). Believe me, I read as much as I can, and sometimes look in places like this to see if people are discussing a particular story and then seek it out, but I have explained in many interviews and in the forewords that I cannot consider any story that I don't see, and the best way to make sure of that is to send it to me. I get thousands of story submissions from individuals each year, as well as submissions from hundreds of publications representing their writers.

I don't have any problems answering any questions about this process, which I think is as open as possible and is nearly identical for all the "Best American" series, and I have tried to address questions in interviews and in the forewords each year. The only thing I won't do is discuss the merits of individual stories that did not make the book, the discussions I may or may not have with the the GE about them, or that might not be appropiate. In the end the guest editor - not me - selects every story in the book. My job is to try to deliver a pool of intelligent suggestions, and then the guest editor has always been free either to select from those stories or select any number of stories on his or her own.

 

I want to hear more about this. (I am being serious, not flip. Is this like the postal service curtailing rural delivery?)

 

Hey Glenn, what about blog posts?
[ducking]

 

Pitchers and Poets, Bronx Banter and Deadspin (twice) have all had stories make the collection, so you may not need to duck.

 

Picture of the last half of my driveway appears here: http://verbplow.blogspot.com/
Kind of explains why there is no home delivery - and I don't subscribe to newpapers by mail. Blogs and online sources, as noted repeatedly in the forewords and on my website, have always been encouraged to submit stories in the same manner as those who write for newspapers and magazines. way

 

There is nothing funnier anywhere than hondo's complete lack of reading comprehension.