The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
For those who enjoy baseball and disappointment, i.e. Mets fans; may also dull pain for Braves and Sox fans
Status: Bookstores will trade it to you for money.
OVER AT FICTION ADVOCATE, Paul Gasbarra takes on the latest and most hyped book to emerge from the n+1 brain trust. The novel is so hot right now it already has its own authorized biography, Vanity Fair’s e-book about how, at a time when America needed a hero, a broke writer named Chad Harbach stunned everyone and got a major payout to put “The Art of Fielding” into print.
With the presence of teams like the Tampa Bay Rays — the suburban strip mall of baseball franchises — assured in the playoffs this year, “Fielding” may be your best bet for diamond action in the coming month. But there is definitely more to the book than baseball.
But the writer still has ample opportunity to finesse the action through revision. In the split second it takes to throw a ball, there can be no deliberation. In fact, Skrimshander’s failures on the field stem directly from his thinking versus acting. It’s interesting to note that we expect much from our authors because they get an opportunity to edit and hone their works, but we expect even more excellence from athletes, who get no opportunity for revision.