W. P. Kinsella

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William Patrick "Bill" Kinsella is a Canadian-American writer known for his shortstories about baseball and First Nations people. His most famous work is the novel Shoeless Joe, which was made into the movie Field of Dreams.


WP Kinsella's short stories provide examples of:

  • Game of Nerds: In "How I Got My Nickname," the 1951 New York Giants are all well-read intellectuals.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: When Shoeless Joe was being adapted into film, the studio changed it to Field of Dreams for fear that people would think it was about a hobo. Director Phillip Alden Robinson, upset, called Kinsella to tell him the news, and, not telling him the new title, had this conversation:

Robinson: They want to change the name from "Shoeless Joe."
Kinsella: Oh that's alright, that wasn't even my title. That was the publisher's title.
Robinson: What was your title?
Kinsella: "Dream Field."

  • Title Drop: He is very fond of doing it throughout his stories.
  • Unstuck in Time: Roberto Clemente in "Searching for January."