The Swim Team by Miranda July

Cannonball!

Miranda July's The Swim Team is the kind of quirky and mawkishly sentimental story that usually wouldn't appeal to me and yet, it's unexpectedly heartfelt. While it certainly leans into whimsy, it does so without sacrificing the sharply focused storytelling. July masterfully balances an absurdist sensibility with an underlying emotional depth, ensuring that the quirkiness enhances rather than overshadows the narrative. Her keen ability to maintain a tone that is both lighthearted and melancholic, meticulously avoiding the common pitfall of eccentricity for its own sake.

The story unfolds through a second-person narrative voice, as the protagonist addresses an ex-boyfriend about an experience she never shared with him. At first, this framing suggests she withheld something deeply significant to their relationship, yet the anecdote she reveals—about befriending some elderly residents of a small town and giving them swimming lessons in her living room—feels both unexpected and strangely inconsequential. The reason for her secrecy remains ambiguous. Was it embarrassment? A sense of isolation? Or perhaps an unspoken longing for meaningful human connection? July leaves this open to interpretation, which only adds to the story’s emotional resonance.

While the premise might initially seem absurd or self-indulgent, there’s an undeniable charm to its quirkiness. The protagonist is a young woman in her 20's drifting through life, stuck in a small town and uncertain of her direction. Beneath the surface of her amusing tale lies a quiet sadness—a yearning for purpose, for belonging, for something more. Her detached, almost matter-of-fact tone contrasts beautifully with the poignancy of her situation, making the story all the more compelling.

The final line, "I must be the saddest swim coach in all of history," is particularly striking. It encapsulates the protagonist’s fragile emotional state. She once found purpose in bringing joy to her elderly students (now deceased), creating something meaningful through the unconventional. Yet, with their absence, she is left longing for that sense of connection, confronted once again with her own loneliness after the recent breakup. It’s a moment of self-awareness, reflecting on loss, the passage of time, and the difficulty of moving forward after heartbreak. 

Considering my initial skepticism, this story turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

You can read this story HERE.