Another installment of Meet the Mets Bloggers.
1. Â Who are you and what’s the name of your blog?
I’m Dana Brand. I’m a Professor of English at Hofstra University and I’m the author of two books about Mets fandom: Mets Fan (McFarland, 2007) and The Last Days of Shea: Delight and Despair in the Life of a Mets Fan (Taylor Trade, 2009). I am also the co-chair of “The Fiftieth Anniversary of the New York Mets: A Conference at Hofstra University,†which will be held on April 26, 27, and 28, 2012.
The title of my blog is “Dana Brand’s Mets Fan Blog†and you can find it at danabrand.com/blog
2. What kind of things can we find on your site?
My blog pieces are essays about the experience of the Mets fan. I write about the ballpark, the heritage of the team, the experience of family and community, and the mood of the fanbase. I write about the lyricism and humor of the Mets fan. I write about the way in which being Mets fans connects with all of the other ways in which we live our lives. As far as I know, I am the oldest Mets blogger. I am 55 and I remember listening to the very first game the Mets played. This gives me a unique perspective. I also have a unique perspective because I am a Professor of English, like Bart Giamatti, who was my mentor at Yale, and with whom I often discussed baseball. As my books demonstrate, I believe that baseball needs to be taken seriously as a profound personal and cultural experience.
3. Expectations for 2010?
I expect an interesting season. I hope for a successful one that will redeem what we have suffered since Adam Wainwright’s curveball dropped two feet at the very last second.
