An Absolute Beauty

In the autumn of 1980, a Canadian book reviewer faced a peculiar situation. An American publisher announced the release of a book about the national pastime of Canada, hockey. The book, titled Amazons, purported to be the memoir of the first woman to ever play in the National Hockey League—Cleo Birdwell. However, the reviewer knew that no woman had ever played in the NHL, challenging the authenticity of the book.

To generate interest, a model impersonating Birdwell signed advance copies of the book in a Rangers jersey, with the publisher hinting at her toughness and sex appeal.

Despite the implausible premise, Amazons garnered attention, particularly in the wake of Canada's disappointing performance at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The book's content, however, proved to be a significant departure from the hockey narrative one might expect. Instead of focusing on Birdwell's on-ice performance, the memoir delved into elaborate accounts of her sexual adventures.

Birdwell allegedly slept with the team's head coach, general manager, former player, and a jet-lagged tennis star. Critics panned the book as "hardcover softcore porn" that would disappoint both hockey fans and general readers.

The author of Amazons was none other than Don DeLillo, a renowned writer known for his complex and thought-provoking works. DeLillo's publisher discreetly guarded his authorship, but not even DeLillo could hide his distinctive writing style from those familiar with his work. The Hartford Courant's Colin McEnroe was the first to identify DeLillo as the book's author in print.

DeLillo himself, however, did not share this appraisal. Although Amazons proved to be his best-selling novel, he refused to include it in his official bibliography, fearing it might tarnish his literary reputation. The book eventually faded into obscurity, remaining unknown to the general public for decades.

In 2006, writer Keith Gessen stumbled upon Amazons while researching the "Great American Hockey Novel." Gessen was dismayed by the lack of hockey literature, comparing it unfavorably to the rich literary traditions of boxing and baseball. In his essay, Gessen compared hockey and literature's struggle to find an audience, suggesting that the two could benefit from each other.

He placed two books on his shelf as the ideal representation of hockey literature: Ken Dryden's memoir, The Game, and DeLillo's Amazons. Gessen's essay seemed to be a half-serious proposal, yet two decades later, it began to materialize into reality.

In contemporary times, hockey erotica, once a niche category, has transformed into a thriving industry. The New Yorker's Nick Paumgarten's memoir, The Intangibles, and the HBO Max series Heated Rivalry, which adapted Rachel Reid's queer-romance series, exemplify this trend. With the publication of Amazons after 46 years and the recognition of DeLillo's role in shaping the hockey literary genre, Cleo Birdwell finally receives the attention she deserved.