Pulitzer winner John McPhee has spent his career covering subjects that don’t inherently seem like fodder for good, much less gripping, journalism: things like geology, oranges, shad. But he’s adept at making the esoteric seem essential and personal. The Patch, his latest collection of nonfiction essays largely about angling and sports, is no exception.
This is McPhee’s seventh published collection of nonfiction writing, and it contains work not found in his previous books. The first section of the book, “The Sporting Scene,” covers everything from fishing to lacrosse, and the second section, “An Album Quilt,” features fragmentary work from various pieces he’s written over the years, including a visit to the Hershey factory and an encounter with Joan Baez. It’s a wide-ranging book, but McPhee manages to thread all these pieces together into an inspiring and captivating read.
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And there are plenty of highlights. The titular story morphs from fishing tale to a physiological study of pickerel to a moving account of his father’s death. Elsewhere, he writes about Ping-Pong champs but also about the first time he drank whiskey and his boyhood days at summer camp. Ultimately, he proves there’s transcendence in the trivial and, like a good drinking pal, comes off as generous, smart, and curious about life’s splendor, however small.
It’s available now in hardcover on Amazon.