Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent: An Evening with Author Rich Cohen

The Book Stall presents a free online event, as acclaimed author Rich Cohen joins us to discuss his new book, Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent. Mr. Cohen was born and raised on Chicago’s North Shore and played youth hockey here. The program is free; registration link provided.

About the book: In Pee Wees, Cohen takes us through a season of hard-fought competition in Fairfield County, Connecticut, an affluent suburb of New York City. Part memoir, and part exploration of youth sports and the exploding popularity of American hockey, Pee Wees follows the ups and downs of the Ridgefield Bears, the twelve-year-old boys and girls on the team, and the parents watching, cheering, conniving, and cursing in the stands. It is a book about the love of the game, the love of parents for their children, and the triumphs and struggles of both.

Publishers Weekly says, “Memoirist Cohen (Sweet and Low) scores with this heartfelt account of watching–and agonizing over–his 11-year-old son’s season playing kids’ competitive hockey. Starting with April tryouts and ending with a soul-churning state tournament in March, Cohen provides a fascinating glimpse into the players’ egos and excels in profiling the parents and coaches who live and die with each shift in their children’s fortunes . . . Cohen’s soulful, poignant examination is a winning testament to the ways parents often live for–and through–their children.”

About the author: Rich Cohen is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Tough Jews; Monsters; Sweet and Low; When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead (with Jerry Weintraub); The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones; and The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse. He is a co-creator of the HBO series Vinyl and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. He has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Harper’s Magazine, among other publications. Cohen has won the Great Lakes Book Award, the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award, and the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for outstanding coverage of music. His essays have been included in The Best American Essays and The Best American Travel Writing.