Articles by Jesse Morse

About Jesse Morse

Jesse Morse lives in Portland, Oregon. He teaches English at Clark College in Vancouver, WA and tutors high school Language Arts in the greater Portland area through Catalyst Pathways. He has a PhD in Creative Writing from University of Denver, and publishes poetry and book reviews in a variety of places. He helps curate 1122 Gallery out of his garage with the poet Jennifer Denrow (his wife!) and the artist Lauren Schaefer. He plays guitar and sings in the rock band The Whirlies. Most proudly, he is a devoted father to Wren, who teaches him how to properly hug each day. Find him on Instagram @jesseportlandmorse .

Seattle Supersonics And Race – David Shields’ Black Planet

October 5, 2020 Jesse Morse 0

With the NBA Finals underway and the NBA bubble nearing its close, I thought it a good time to pick up one of the more unique basketball books ever written: David Shields’ Black Planet: Facing […]

Spectacles In The Pandemic – Soccer In Sun And Shadow

May 22, 2020 Jesse Morse 0

Since the Korean Baseball League got underway and the Bundesliga resumed, both without fans in attendance, I’ve been thinking about Guy Debord’s seminal text The Society of the Spectacle. Debord brings to the forefront the notion […]

Sudden Death – How To Wait Up For The Australian Open

January 31, 2020 Jesse Morse 0

The Australian Open is by lengths my favorite of the four tennis majors. Perhaps it’s the blistering, sun-baked court in the middle of our winter that enamors me, or the fact that, in the heart […]

The WWF And The UFC Through The Eyes Of A Samurai

September 3, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

I remember as a child – between the ages of, say, eight and thirteen – asking my father and mother on occasion if we could suspend our Saturday morning chores so I could slip inside […]

As Important Now As Ever – Gwendolyn Oxenham’s Under The Lights And In The Dark: Untold Stories Of Women’s Soccer

July 26, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

With the Women’s World Cup squarely in the rear view mirror, and the Portland Thorns solidly in first place fresh off a resounding 5-0 thrashing of the Houston Dash, I’ve been wondering, and discussing among […]

“The Noble Hustle” – Reviewing A Sports Book From A Non-Sports Author

July 2, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

When the massive annual writing conference known familiarly as AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) descended on Portland this past March, I heard that anywhere between 10 and 15,000 writers attended. Portland, being its […]

Kikuchi, Ohtani, And The Miko Kings – How To Transition From The Long Winter Of The NBA To The Bright Summer Of MLB

May 31, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

With the NBA Finals finally getting underway, seeing the Warriors back in action might trigger painful memories of only two weeks ago for Blazer fans. While it was unquestionably a remarkable season for the Blazers, […]

My Take On Tiger Woods Through The Eyes Of P.G. Wodehouse

May 3, 2019 Jesse Morse 2

With the nation so recently enraptured with Tiger Woods’ triumph at the Masters, I found myself wondering what it is about Tiger Woods that excites golf aficionados with such rabid intensity. Surely the reasons have […]

“More Delivery Room Fights During March Madness …” – Kwame Alexander’s “The Crossover” The Perfect Distraction During Final Four

April 3, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

When my wife was pregnant with my future child, I decided to do the right thing and sign up for a dad’s class at the local hospital. I wasn’t overly worried about becoming a father, […]

Hockey, Like The Epic Sports Book, “The Game”, Continues To Stand The Test Of Time

March 8, 2019 Jesse Morse 0

With the Portland Winterhawks two weeks away from their 10th consecutive year in the Western Hockey League playoffs, NHL franchises slogging through the last month of their 82-game season, and the March 4th passing of […]