The Effect of Literary Journalism

Jared Bauer

January 20, 2015

Jim Yardley’s Brave Dragons follows a Chinese basketball team as they rise up from the cellar of the league.  He first became interested in the Brave Dragons when former NBA coach Bob Weiss agreed to coach the team.   The Brave Dragons are owned by a quirky owner who constantly makes coaching changes, screams at his players for hours, and once even physically assaulted a player.  However, the story becomes about much more than this as it delves into Chinese culture.  Jim Yardley puts himself into the story as character using Literary Journalism.  Jim Yardley’s use of literary journalism puts you into the story Brave Dragons and gives you a realistic perspective into Chinese culture and how it differs from American culture.

One of the major features of literary journalism is storytelling.  You are thrust right into the clash of cultures in the first chapter.  Negotiating the Chinese culture is like a minefield.  Something as simple as eating your lunch can cause an explosion.  According to Tracey, Bob Weiss’ wife, “Bob should not leave his chopsticks planted like fence posts in a bowl of rice because this symbolized death.” (16)  Bob was not versed in American manners let alone Chinese.   This anecdote about eating lunch demonstrates the importance of storytelling, as this same information communicated in nonfiction would lack the sense of immediacy.   

Another major feature of literary journalism is the use of voice.  In Brave Dragons Yardley uses first person perspective to tell the story of Chinese culture.  Jim Yardley was invited to spend the Chinese New Year with the Brave Dragons’ DJ, Ren Hongbing.  The first day of the Chinese New Year is a highly celebrated occasion and is described by Yardley as, “The Chinese equivalent of Christmas and Thanksgiving blended together.” (225)   On the first day of the Chinese New Year celebration there was a fire in the building where Ren lives.  Jim Yardley wants to help the family put out the fire.  “‘Eat,’ Ren said.  ‘This is not a problem.’  I’ll go take a look.’  He closed the door.  I found myself wishing that Ren’s parents had also given birth to Ren Firefighter.  I ate a few dumplings and contemplated my predicament.  I was Ren’s guest, and I did not want to embarrass him or for him to lose face.” (228)  Yardley’s use of literary journalism puts you into his shoes as a character and puts you into his “predicament.”   In China it would be “embarrassing” for a guest to help.  The use of first person perspective was far more compelling to read than a factual story about how the Chinese honor their guests.  

Literary journalism allows the writer to describe scenes and characters in minute detail.  Yardley, when describing the utterances of the team’s African center, uses extreme description.  For instance, the author states, “It was as if they arrived a long moment after they left his mouth, as if the sound were lingering in the air, vibrating, deliberating whether it would coalesce itself into something recognizable.” (90)  Literary journalism is the only medium in which this kind of detail could be applied in a factual story.  The use of description enhances the character Olumide.  After Yardley portrays Olumide’s voice this way, it changes your perspective on him for the remainder of the story.  It gives you the back story for why Olumide’s quotes later in the story are a confusing jumble.  Also, one can now understand that the author at times had to interpret Olumide’s words when it put into the story.   

One of the hallmarks of journalism is the attempt to be objective.  Figurative language classically does not fit into journalism.  However, Yardley is freed from those handcuffs by using the conventions of literary journalism.  For example Yardley writes, “The Liaoning Pan Pan Dinosaurs’ basketball arena is shaped like a whiskey tumbler, squat with rounded glass walls, glowing on this night with intoxicating promise.” (64) Yardley does more than describe the shape of the arena.  He is able to paint a picture of the Chinese obsession for basketball and its promise.  Literary journalism allows Yardley to describe the arena with a metaphor instead of blandly stating it.  

Brave Dragons is more than a story about a Chinese basketball team.  It clearly depicts the interaction between the Chinese and American culture.  Literary journalism is the ideal medium to show this interaction.  It gives the writer the ability to paint a whole picture complete with nuances of character and personality.  Yardley has acknowledged his intent to reveal the conflicts within modern China.  Yardley was quoted by the New York Times stating, “Private entrepreneurship exists in perpetual tension with the state.”  You can see this throughout the story Brave Dragons.  The tension between the state and team is shown in many facets throughout the story.  For instance, the team DJ wants to play various types of music at the Brave Dragon's games.  However, the state sanctions what music is allowed.  Every team in the Chinese Basketball Association must play the same music.  This is microcosm of what happens throughout present day China.            

Prior to writing this story, Yardley was a journalist for many years. Yet, he chose to use the conventions of literary journalism to tell the story of evolving Chinese culture.  Shy of living it oneself, Yardley’s use of literary journalism gives us as realistic of a look into Chinese culture as possible.

Bibliography:

Zengerle, Jason. "China’s Basketball Culture." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.

Yardley, Jim. Brave Dragons: A Chinese Basketball Team, an American Coach, and Two Cultures Clashing. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.