The Best American Series®

First, Best, and Best-Selling

The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected—and most popular—of its kind.

The Best American Sports Writing 2011 includes

Paul Solotaroff, Sally Jenkins, Wells Tower, John McPhee, David Dobbs, Wright Thompson, P. J. O’Rourke, Selena Roberts, and others

Guest edited by award-winning author Jane Leavy, this year’s powerful collection goes beyond the headlines to explore sports at their most extreme:

• In-Depth Reporting: Go behind the box score with riveting long-form journalism that investigates everything from the psychology of choking to the dark truths of youth swimming.
• High-Stakes Competition: Discover the world of sports ‘in extremis,’ following a free-diver pushing human limits, a surfing savant with Asperger’s, and the daredevils of BASE jumping.
• Unfiltered Profiles: Get inside the minds of complex figures, from a profile of NFL star Marvin Harrison as ‘The Dirtiest Player’ to a look at the perseverance of MLB manager Dusty Baker.
• Legendary Sportswriters: Experience masterful storytelling from icons of the craft, including unforgettable essays by John McPhee, P. J. O’Rourke, and Wright Thompson.