Vol. 17 Issue 1 Press Start Book Review A Play of Bodies by Brendan Keogh

My first year as a graduate student has ended just as the latest issue of the Press Start graduate student game studies journal has been released, with another review by me of Keogh’s great book, this time written more for academics. It’s a little goofy to have written two reviews about one book, but it was an interesting writing challenge, and I feel confident that they each serve different means.

The first review, Trace Then Describe over at noescape, was a bit more my personal connection with the book and stressing that phenomenology is important to understanding and enjoying games, and that Keogh’s book shows it is an accessible project. This review, for Press Start, was written less as a critique of Keogh (which marks this review as a little unconventional, as far as the genre goes) and more concerned with informing students whether or not this book may be relevant to their interests and projects. There’s only so much time to read when you’re a student, I wanted this review to be useful to as many people as possible.

I fear that I committed a bit of a faux pas with this one, and I hope Brendan can forgive me, if he even notices haha… There’s a lot about the genre, about publishing, academic ettiquette and politics that I am still learning. But, ultimately, I should be proud because I still think this review accomplishes what I wanted to do differently from the other review. So I am glad to have gone through the trouble to write two articles about this really great book!! You can read my academic review, and the rest of the great game studies essays published in Vol 7 Issue 1 of Press Start HERE.