{"product_id":"the-utility-of-boredom-baseball-essays-paperback","title":"The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAndrew Forbes\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTenth Anniversary Edition, featuring a new introduction by the author.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpitball literary essays on the off-kilter joys, sorrows and wonder of North America's national pastime.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA collection of essays for ardent seamheads and casual baseball fans alike, \u003ci\u003eThe Utility of Boredom\u003c\/i\u003e is a book about finding respite and comfort in the order, traditions, and rituals of baseball. It's a sport that shows us what a human being might be capable of, with extreme dedication--whether we're eating hot dogs in the stands, waiting out a rain delay in our living rooms, or practising the lost art of catching a stray radio signal from an out-of-market broadcast.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom learning about America through ball-diamond visits to the most famous triple play that never happened on Canadian soil, Forbes invites us to witness the adult conversing with the O-Pee-Chee baseball cards of his youth. Tender, insightful, and with the slow heartbreak familiar to anyone who's cheered on a losing team, \u003ci\u003eThe Utility of Boredom\u003c\/i\u003e tells us a thing or two about the sport, and how a seemingly trivial game might help us make sense of our messy lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAndrew Forbes\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of three collections of baseball writing--\u003ci\u003eThe Utility of Boredom\u003c\/i\u003e (2016), \u003ci\u003eThe Only Way Is the Steady Way\u003c\/i\u003e (2021), and \u003ci\u003eField Work\u003c\/i\u003e (2025)--as well as two collections of short fiction, the novella \u003ci\u003eMcCurdle's Arm\u003c\/i\u003e, and a novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Diapause\u003c\/i\u003e. He is an active member of the Society for American Baseball Research, having participated in several investigative projects. He has written for publications including the \u003ci\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCanadian Notes and Queries\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMaisonneuve Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and his work has been nominated for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the Trillium Book Award. Originally from Ottawa, Forbes has lived in Atlantic Canada and rural Eastern Ontario, and now resides in Peterborough, Ontario. For more information, visit andrewgforbes.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 7.9 x 4.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 13, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67651859677458,"sku":"9781778431012","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/2211\/5346\/files\/Aayx76v2ci9781778431012.webp?v=1793325050","url":"https:\/\/ckbookstore.net\/products\/the-utility-of-boredom-baseball-essays-paperback","provider":"CK BOOKSTORE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}