“But I think what makes sports so special is that they bring together people from all walks of life—be it cheering in the stands, competing on the field, or coaching on the sidelines—and it exposes what is raw and beautiful about the human condition.”
—Brooke Bentley
A member of the Writers’ League since 2024, Brooke lives in the Houston, TX area.
Scribe: Welcome, writer! Tell us — what do you write?
Brooke Bentley: I’m a former sports journalist turned novelist. My debut novel Sideline Confidential was published last year. This novel had been percolating in my subconscious for years, but I’d been too immersed in the sports media world to write it. Time away during maternity leave and the challenges I was facing as a new mom with a demanding work schedule gave me a new perspective. Over the next few years, I wrote the manuscript intermittently while also having a second child. Then, I shelved it. I was busy “mommying” and working. It wasn’t until news broke about disturbing harassment allegations in professional football that I decided to revisit the novel with a new lens. I started with a blank page and renewed determination to detail the sexual politics women face in sports journalism. Be pretty but not too sexy. Know your sport but don’t outsmart the men. Be a great mother but don’t take off time from work. It can feel like an impossible tightrope. That’s what I set out to capture.
Scribe: If you could choose one author to blurb your book, who would it be, and what would you want it to say?
BB: Katherine Center. I’m a huge fan of this New York Times Bestselling author, and not just because we both went to the same Houston high school or because she graciously spoke to my writing group about her novel writing process. I fall headfirst into Katherine’s books from the start. I’m with her characters, feeling their tenderness, grief, fortitude, hope, and joy. And Katherine leads readers through life’s messy emotions with such witty writing that I often find myself laughing out loud. If she were to blurb my book, I would dream of her writing, “Brooke Bentley’s fast-paced novel reads like an upbeat Taylor Swift song. Brooke moves readers through themes of women empowerment while remaining optimistic and openhearted.”
Scribe: You have one book you’re allowed to push onto all of your friends, and they’re forced to read it to remain your friend — which one would you choose?
BB: Charlotte’s Web. In first grade, I read Charlotte’s Web and cried for weeks about Charlotte’s death and the mortality of all living creatures. I think through that experience I subconsciously realized the power of the written word and how books can move people to deepen their emotional capacity.
Scribe: Tell us your WLT story.
BB: I lived in the journalism world for most of my adult life. I’m still finding my footing as novelist and building my writing community. What a gift that WLT exists to help writers do just that! I’m excited to take classes and participate in WLT events.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
BB: I’ve started writing my second novel. It depicts the obsessive little league culture in Texas- dads living out their sports dreams through their children. There’s also a touch of drama. Think Bad News Bears meets Ballers.
Scribe: Here at the WLT, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one book that has come out within the past few years that you couldn’t put down? (Bonus points if the book is Texas related!)
BB: I devour all of Kristin Hannah’s novels, and this summer The Women found a profound place in my heart. The Women details the experiences of women nurses in the Vietnam War with unflinching detail and anguish. Kristin paints such vivid images of war that my stomach flipped and my heart ached as I followed protagonist Frances “Frankie” McGrath from war catastrophes to atrocities. But at the heart of the novel is a story of humanity. It’s about the power of female friendships, the depths of grief, the realities of PTSD, and the resiliency of veterans seemingly broken beyond repair. And it’s an important reminder that women are war heroes, too.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
BB: I love sports and writing about sports. I played college volleyball at Davidson College where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa. I consider my happy place to be golfing and hiking with my husband. Sports has taught me countless valuable lessons in life. How to focus, push myself beyond limits, recover and rest, breathe deeply. I could go on forever. But I think what makes sports so special is that they bring together people from all walks of life—be it cheering in the stands, competing on the field, or coaching on the sidelines—and it exposes what is raw and beautiful about the human condition.
Scribe: Let us know any social media handles you have!
BB: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookiebentley/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookiebentley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bentley.brooke