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wanted to know how they knew so many words that don’t
appear in everyday conversation and media, and how they
were able to study them and harness that learning on live
television. The Indian American winning streak that started
in 2008 also piqued my curiosity, since they comprise only
about 1% of the overall U.S. population but have been
declared champions in every National Spelling Bee for over
a decade.
What are “brain sports” and how does the Bee fit into
that world?
The term “brain sports” refers to the intense world of intel-
lectual competitions—Jeopardy!, chess tournaments, math
contests, Academic Decathlon, and the like. The National
Spelling Bee is the oldest educational contest to be staged
at the national level. Brain sports mirror the same kind of
intensity and training as more traditional sports—years of
practice, developing stamina and focus, performing in tough
moments, and handling loss gracefully.
You’re both an anthropologist and a parent. How
did that dual perspective affect your approach to
studying the Bee?
It’s funny—initially people thought I was there because
I had a child competing, or because I planned to groom my
own children for the Bee. Far from it! My kids think spelling
bees are fun to watch but that’s about it. Having two Gen
Z kids (born in 2006 and 2010) made it much easier for me
to relate to and understand the interests and motivations of
the kids I met in my research project. My perspective as an
anthropologist is always informed by who I am in the world,
so in this case, being a parent allowed me to be empathetic
about how hard the kids worked and how disappointing their
losses were, but also how much they enjoyed the social
aspects of the Bee.
Your book is aimed at a broad audience. What is it about the
Bee that made you want to write for ordinary readers as op-
posed to fellow academics?
Since I studied an event that is broadcast annually on ESPN,
it seemed like there would be a lot of broader public interest.
Not all subjects translate well beyond academia, but this one
is so relatable, since many of us who grew up in the United
States remember our classroom or school spelling bees. I also
thought this would be a good time to introduce another per-
spective on immigrants and what they’re doing in the United
States, as we tend to not hear very many positive stories about
newer American communities. Fellow academics have heard a
lot of these ideas before, but they receive less attention in the
general public.
What was the most surprising thing you learned while study-
ing the Bee?
Kids DO NOT MEMORIZE the words! They study etymology
and root languages like Greek and Latin, focusing on the letter
patterns that each could contribute to a word’s written repre-
sentation. During competition, they figure out the spellings in
real time by breaking down words according to the information
they request (besides the language of origin, they can also
ask for the definition, part of speech, alternate pronunciations,
and for it to be used in a sentence), and rebuild them based on
the information they get. Of course, there are some words that
don’t follow known patterns and need to be memorized, but for
the most part, this is how they approach competitive spell-
ing. Elite spellers treat each word like a puzzle to be solved.
They might be sure of some words, but tend to go through the
process of breaking down and rebuilding just to be sure.
Where do games and puzzles fit in this world you discuss?
Is family game night a thing of the past? Is solving a cross-
word puzzle over a cup of coffee passé in a world where
kids work so hard to get into the Bee or can win $3 million
playing Fortnite?
When you think about spelling a word as a mini puzzle to be
solved, it can feel like a game! It is certainly a higher stakes
game when it’s at the National Spelling Bee finals, but the
satisfaction of spelling a word correctly is like figuring out
a tough crossword clue or making a high-scoring Scrabble
word. I don’t think the intensity of brain sports like the Bee has
to mean the end of family game night because many spellers I
met love all kinds of games. Even when they work really hard,
they don’t lose sight of having fun; puns and word jokes are
very much appreciated in this world. But yes, the stakes have
become really high, and it is remarkable that a 13-year-old can
win that big for being great at video games. I found that this
trend of bigger contests and even bigger prizes is on the rise
for Gen Z, and it’s a lot to process for kids and parents alike.
It’s a little different with the Bee because the prizes are a lot
smaller (around $40,000 for first place). They are, however,
gaining knowledge that can benefit them in high school, col-
lege, and beyond.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you’d like
to mention?
Just that the kids I met were very kind and supportive to
one another, which initially surprised me. I wondered how
such fierce competitors could also be close friends. I came
to believe what elite spellers told me—they don’t compete
against each other, they compete against the dictionary. If
that doesn’t sound believable, remember that eight of them
together crushed the dictionary this year and high-fived each
other while doing it. Q
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