Athletes

From sports drinks to cold and heat therapy, journalist Christie Aschwanden looks at the science of exercise recovery.

Award-winning sports journalist John Feinstein explains how he's gotten some of the most talented and temperamental athletes and coaches in the world to talk to him. His book One on One details his conversations with people like Bobby Knight, Tiger Woods and John McEnroe.

Vecsey has a new book called A Year in the Sun, about his career in sports journalism. He writes for The New York Times, and covers the lives of athletes both on and off the field.

Edward Hirsch was an All-American football player in college -- at the same time he became interested in poetry. He talks about how insomnia, sports, and restlessness affect his life and writing. He reads several poems for Fresh Air listeners.

Frank Deford, senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a commentator on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition." Some of his best essays from Sports Illustrated have been collected in a book titled The World's Tallest Midget.

Sportswriter Frank Deford has a new collection of his work for Sport Illustrated called The World's Tallest Midget. He says writing long form pieces has helped sustain his career; he'd falter under the pressure of a daily deadline.