Michelangelo’s David Is A Shortstop: Inside The Mind Of Sally Jenkins

She doesn’t look at art like a critic. She looks at it like a scout.

Sally Jenkins, the first woman inducted into the Sportswriters Hall of Fame, just dropped a cultural masterclass in The Atlantic. And if you think she left her sports brain at the door, think again.

Take Michelangelo’s David.

Most see a biblical figure or a masterpiece of marble. Jenkins sees an athlete in the zone. She breaks down the sculpture like she’s analyzing a pitcher on the mound: “Observe the relaxed hand, the posture, the pre-coiled readiness of the body.” It is the calm before the snap.

This unique perspective is what made her a Pulitzer finalist, and it’s fueling her new chapter at The Atlantic.

Her roster of recommendations is eclectic and sharp:

• Film: She’s watched the Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There nearly seven times for its fragmented, non-linear genius.
• Literature: She studies Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird not just for the plot, but to understand how to build tension when the audience already knows the ending—a crucial skill for any sportswriter.
• Music: Taylor Swift found her way onto the playlist via Jenkins’ goddaughter, specifically the track “Renegade.”

From the gridiron to the gallery.

Whether she is praising the “diligent research” in Sidney Blumenthal’s Lincoln biography or the terrifying authenticity of William Langewiesche’s reporting on flight disasters, Jenkins is proving one thing: Great storytelling is universal.