COLWRIT 195 | Players, Spectators, and Fanatics: Writing on the Cultures in Sports

2018 Fall | Tue 3:30–5 pm | COURSE #32304 | UNITS: 4

Michael Larkin & Ryan Sloan

Whether you play, watch, or try to ignore it, sport is woven into our daily lives. In this class, we read some of the very best sports journalism with a critical lens. In so doing, we’ll examine intersections between business, race, culture, disability, gender, performance, technology, politics, social justice, and above all else attention to inquiry through thoughtful writing.

In what ways can each sport be considered its own culture, with distinct rituals, language, costumes, imagery, and relationship networks? What’s interesting about the way sports bodies are transformed under the spectator’s gaze — especially when those bodies are thought to have an advantage based on sex, race, gender, or disability? What constitutes “greatness” in the context of time, aging, and the marketing of self? And how do we start to understand the political, technological, and social trap that athletes find themselves in when asked to be role models and cultural symbols — but not to speak?

You’ll develop stronger analytical skills by writing in a variety of creative nonfiction genres on multimedia platforms, have rich discussions with your peers, and create a sustained project of your own choosing.