The story continues . . .
The expanded edition of Shattering the Glass is almost here!
The first edition, published by the New Press in 2005, was the most comprehensive account of American women’s basketball ever written. It became an integral part of sports history classes across the country. Readers raved.
Bust Magazine termed it “an indispensable resource.” Renowned sportswriter Robert Lipsyte described it as a “nonstop romp through hoops history” that offered “not only lively storytelling but a fascinating window on race, gender, and class on and off the court.” Historian Jacquelyn Hall called it a “sweeping, century-long story that places women’s sports at the heart of the fight for women’s rights.”
Twenty years later, the sport we’ve always loved has taken on new significance. Throughout its history, basketball has made it possible for players and coaches to challenge the limitations imposed on women by American culture and society. Our new chapters explore the factors that have contributed to the game’s recent growth, and the ways that players have used their new visibility to engage issues that include race, sexuality and opportunity. It’s such an important story.
As the sport has changed, so have we. We were so young back then!
We still live across the street from each other in Charlotte, North Carolina. We’ve pursued plenty of projects in the past 20 years, including a history of women’s basketball at Army West Point, a book about using sports to teach U.S. history and an account of segregation, desegregation and resegregation at historically Black West Charlotte High School.
As our new picture shows (see top), we’ve taken on more color, along with a few more wrinkles and a pound or two.
We’ve been so excited to watch the profile of women’s sports rise. It’s been a privilege to be able to update our manuscript, to explore the ways the history we’ve chronicled relates to an ever-changing present.
The great thing about doing history is that it never gets old. The stories we tell – of Senda Berenson and Ora Washington, of Hazel Walker and C. Vivian Stringer, of Cheryl Miller and Pat Summitt, of Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark – not only shed light on present-day events, they will prove illuminating far into the future.
We haven’t blogged in almost a year. It’s been a challenging time – in basketball, in the world, in our lives. We’ve had to focus particular attention on our families – Susan’s father passed away in June; Pam’s mother in July.
But we’ve been lucky to be able to work with a great team. Thanks to the staff at UNC Press, our editor and chief cheerleader Mark Simpson-Vos, and to the many coaches, players, fans, archivists and sports information officers who took the time to help us tell this new story.
We can’t wait to get it out into the world.
