Grantland and Deadspin correspondent presents a
breakthrough examination of the professional wrestling, its
history, its fans, and its wider cultural impact that does
for the sport what Chuck Klosterman did for heavy
metal.
The Squared Circle grows
out of David Shoemaker’s writing for Deadspin, where he
started the column “Dead Wrestler of the Week” (which boasts
over 1 million page views) -- a feature on the many
wrestling superstars who died too young because of the abuse
they subject their bodies to -- and his writing for
Grantland, where he covers the pro wrestling world, and its
place in the pop culture mainstream. Shoemaker’s
sportswriting has since struck a nerve with generations of
wrestling fans who—like him—grew up worshipping a sport
often derided as “fake” in the wider culture. To them, these
professional wrestling superstars are not just heroes but an
emotional outlet and the lens through which they learned to
see the world.
Starting in the early 1900s
and exploring the path of pro wrestling in America through
the present day, The Squared Circle is the first book
to acknowledge both the sport’s broader significance and
wrestling fans’ keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided
into eras, each section offers a snapshot of the wrestling
world, profiles some of the period’s preeminent wrestlers,
and the sport’s influence on our broader culture. Through
the brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues
that pro wrestling can teach us about the nature of
performance, audience, and, yes, art.
Full of
unknown history, humor, and self-deprecating
reminiscence—but also offering a compelling look at the
sport’s rightful place in pop culture—The Squared Circle
is the book that legions of wrestling fans have been
waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past the
spandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain
the world.
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