Exploring the World of Metafiction in Robert Coover's 'The Universal Baseball Association'
Delve into the intriguing world of metafiction through Robert Coover's novel 'The Universal Baseball Association'. Discover the power of storytelling, the absurdity of obsessive fandom, and the thrill of creating one's own narrative. Follow protagonist Henry as he immerses himself in a world of his own creation, blurring the lines between reality and fiction in a narrative full of excitement and energy.
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Presentation Transcript
The Universal Baseball Association, J. Henry Waugh, Prop. * Robert Coover * SPORTS|ETHICS|LITERATURE 10.21.2016
Robert Coover Born 1932 in Iowa BA in Slavic Studies from Indiana in 1953 Joined the Navy MA in General Studies in the Humanities, Chicago, 1965 Refused to pay taxes in protest of the Vietnam War First book, The Origin of the Brunists, is about the forming of a religious cult in a small town beset by a mining accident Universal Baseball Association (1968) The Public Burning (1977) on the Rosenberg Trial told largely from the perspective of Richard Nixon Professor Emeritus at Brown University
Why write metafiction? In calling attention to the process of writing or authoring through fiction, as an audience we become aware of the fact that we are always authoring or writing our own lives. The world of sports, in particular, is full of this storytelling. We give sports meaning through storytelling through narrative. There is a sense of power in becoming the author of our own narratives. Coover also points to the absurdity of obsessive fandom. But this first chapter is also lovably rich in excitement and energy.
Some highlights of Ch. 1, UBA 15: The dice rattled in Henry s fist The first moment we realize what he s actually up to this isn t going home and listening on the radio or watching on TV, but something entirely of his own creation. Look at how seamlessly Coover transitions from the real world to Henry s imagined world 19: nothing like it, electrifying, new, a new thing How often does a 56-year-old man get to experience something wholly new? Especially one like him ?
Some highlights of Ch. 1, UBA 31: utterly unsurpassable perfection Remember that DFW says we are drawn to sports and top athletes because we want to know what it feels to be both beautiful and best. Brock has just thrown a perfect game. 29: slipping seamlessly between bartender Pete (RL) and Jake (UBA) Where do the characters in our imagined narratives come from? Have you ever imagined yourself as someone else, someone more confident, more at ease, more successful, conversing more easily?
