Jane Leavy's BASW 2011 picks are out

[Versatile]

http://indiepro.com/glenn/index.php/the-best-american-sports-writing-2011/

I read a lot of sports journalism, and I'm annually impressed by how many things I haven't read end up in these collections.

Three thoughts:

1. Newspapers were relatively well represented, compared to some previous editions. Two from the Los Angeles Times, one from the Washington Post, one from the Boston Globe and one from the Philadelphia Daily News. In the Montville edition (2009), there were only two newspaper picks.
2. There seems to be a bigger focus than perhaps normal on reporting and hard-to-tackle issues, which is nice.
3. This book features a few stories focusing on women's rights, which is fine and perhaps needed. Leavy is the first female editor, and the pieces by Jenkins, Roberts and Haas were all excellent. (Those were of the 10 pieces I had already read featured here, out of 29.)

I recall reading Jason Fagone's Marvin Harrison feature in February 2010 and thinking, "If this piece doesn't get in, it's only because of the turnaround on BASW and a complete lack of emphasis on breaking news." I'm particularly glad that piece was included, considering all the aftershock it created.

 

[Gator]

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

YOU ONLY COVER ME WHEN I WRITE FOR A PRESTIGE PUBLICATION

No, that never gets old.

 

[baddecision]

Those guys try just as hard as all the big papers.

 

[Rhody31]

BASW is costing me a scholarship.

 

[drakescoffeecake]

Come on. Don't make me go to the bookstore and leaf through the back, alphabetically, in breathless anticipation, only to ... oh, I'm such a fool. (Blood flushing to forehead.)

I mean, I've never done that.

Ahem. Where are the "notables" of 2010?

 

[mediaguy]

I prefer to think that they have to ask a writer's permission for inclusion in BASW, and they're afraid I'll say no.

 

[Glenn Stout]

Actually, my dog ate the submission you meant to send when your grandmother died during the postal strike.

 

[ringer]

Where can we find the list of honorable mentions for 2011?

Also, an idea for future editions: Block out the name of the author and the name of the publication. Every year, I'm convinced that some of the picks are swayed by the writer's reputation.

 

[Glenn Stout]

Notables released with publication. And for a number of years all submissions to the guest editor have been made blind. Whenever possible I give the Guest editor all submissions as word documents without notice of author, publication, or with any illustrations. When I can't get the story in a word doc, I try to block out any identifying information.

 

[JRoyal]

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

YOU ONLY COVER ME WHEN I WRITE FOR A PRESTIGE PUBLICATION

Those writers put in lots of hard work, too. They deserve to be recognized.

 

[Versatile]

Notables released with publication. And for a number of years all submissions to the guest editor have been made blind. Whenever possible I give the Guest editor all submissions as word documents without notice of author, publication, or with any illustrations. When I can't get the story in a word doc, I try to block out any identifying information.

That's a great policy, Glenn, though I'm not sure anything besides rewriting could keep most people from knowing what Gary Smith wrote. Then again, he might be the only active sports writer that's unequivocally true for right now. Wright Thompson, maybe? Posnanski? Simers? Simmons?

 

[Glenn Stout]

I think that depends upon how closely and how much the GE reads in a given year. With all the reading I do, I think I could probably guess a fair number of sources, but in general, I think you are correct that in most instances only a handful of writers are gerenallytn recognizable to the more casual reader.

The reason I release the contents early is that galley/review copies are already circulating and the authors know they are in. I'm just not comfortable doing the same with the notable list.

 

[LanceyHoward]

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

I think some pretty damn good writing is done at papers with a circ of less than 250,000. But historically I remember BASW as mostly running feature stories. With staff and space cuts how many newspapers are giving staff the time to create a good, original feature story? My memory of many of the newspapers stories that made BASW is that they ran in the Sunday magazine and how many of them are left?

 

[DanOregon]

A lot of these names started out at smaller papers. I believe Thomas Lake's "2 on 5" from a few years back about an Alabama high school basketball game was written as a freelance piece and ended up in Sports Illustrated while he was working in Florida.
The best career advice I ever received was not to expect your employer to give you opportunities to better your career, you have to take them on your own.
I worked with a guy years ago who wrote something - it was rejected as not being local enough - he submitted it to a national publication and it was published. And he is in the book this year.

 

[Versatile]

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

I think some pretty damn good writing is done at papers with a circ of less than 250,000. But historically I remember BASW as mostly running feature stories. With staff and space cuts how many newspapers are giving staff the time to create a good, orginal feature story? My memory of many of the newspapers stories that made BASW is that they ran in the Sunday magazine and how many of them are left?

I agree, and to a degree, that makes sense. I'd love to see more investigative pieces (such as the ABC piece), but as far as gamers and more normal, short features, they wouldn't provide the BASW with the kind of shelf life it requires as a published book. You can pick up any edition and read it today and not have to worry that the stories will seem dated.

 

[playthrough]

I still haven't gotten over the bitterness of my wife -- who is trailing me in the sports byline count by roughly 8,500 to 1 -- getting her "1" into the notables last year. Your book is a rag, Glenn!

 

[imjustagirl]

Actually, my dog ate the submission you meant to send when your grandmother died during the postal strike.

That made me laugh.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

No Gary Smith.

 

[silent_h]

After seeing this thread, I posted a few thoughts about getting into the BASW on my blog:

http://patrickhruby.blogspot.com/2011/08/luck-opportunity-and-best-american.html

It takes so much luck and opportunity, and even then, there are many more deserving pieces than spots, each and every year. I'm not so sure I should care so much about this book, or that any of us should. But I'm glad we do, because it probably pushes all of us to do the hard, uncomfortable work of extending beyond what we think we're capable of. I know it pushes me.

If we all write better stories because of said push, then our readers benefit. And Glenn is doing something very good for our field.