Playing to the End

Name: Playing to the End
Brand: Univ of Nebraska Press
Price: 307.75 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

Elder Black Men, Placemaking, and Dominoes in Denver

By: Steve Bialostok

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Hardcover | 1 January 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
246 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.75

Hardcover

$307.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $76.94 with

Available: 1st January 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

In Playing to the End, Steve Bialostok immerses readers in the vibrant world of the card room at Denver's Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center, where a group of older Black men gather to play dominoes, exchange playful banter known as "talking shit," and cultivate a space of belonging. More than just a game, their gatherings are acts of Black placemaking--resisting cultural erasure, gentrification, and societal marginalization while fostering joy, resilience, and community.

Through five years of ethnographic study, Bialostok reveals how these men transform the card room into a sanctuary of identity and defiance, where humor and camaraderie become tools of self-determination. As they navigate the pressures of a changing neighborhood, their interactions affirm the power of play, talk, and collective memory in sustaining Black spaces. Playing to the End is a compelling testament to the significance of these gatherings and the ongoing struggle for autonomy, cultural affirmation, and social connection in an inequitable world.

Steve Bialostok is a professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming. He is the coeditor of Education and the Risk Society: Theories, Discourse, and Risk Identities in Education Contexts.

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