Summer Reading

Horsemen of the Esophagus: Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream

by Jason Fagone

Crown, 320 pp., $24

Is there any there there? That's the question that journalist Jason Fagone wants to answer during his year of following the International Federation of Competitive Eating circuit ("27 contests in 13 states and two continents"), attempting to figure out what, if anything, it all means.

In this world beset with depressingly real issues of food security, obesity, hunger, nutrition, and health, the cultural place of competitive eating is difficult to grasp, but young Fagone gives it the old college try. "I would become akin to an actual serious beat reporter covering an actual serious beat ... as if it were important. Not mock-important."

Eating contests seem always to have been with us. Throughout various world mythologies, they signify power and dominance; there's the tradition of American county fair pie-eating contests and Depression-era publicity stunts; and who could forget Cool Hand Luke and the hard-boiled eggs? The current interest commenced with the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island, and was formed into the Federation in 1997 by NYC publicist/siblings Rich and George Shea.

Full disclosure: I read this book because I covered a Federation chicken-fried-steak eating contest in Austin in 2004. I interviewed George Shea and several champion eaters but was so boggled and confused, I couldn't write a single coherent thing. (Harvard graduate Shea, with his straw boater and witty, erudite, surreal patter, simultaneously channels P.T. Barnum, Louis Farrakhan, and a cattle auctioneer.)

So I was avid to know how Fagone got his head around it all. He does a pretty good job of sorting through the contradictions, teasing revealing answers from the players (eaters, promoters, fans), ruminating about who they are and how they view themselves. Fagone writes very well, if frequently to excess, but with some patina of experience (and dispassionate editing) applied, I expect to see future serious work from this guy.

Interestingly, another book on the identical topic – Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit by Ryan Nerz – hit the shelves last month, too. But I'm not planning to read it. I'm full.