Excerpt from American Bee: Speller profile, Samir Patel

Samir, from Texas, is one of five spellers this book follows as they compete in the National Bee.

AMERICAN BEE
The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds

The Lives of Five Top Spellers as They Compete for Glory and Fame

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Excerpt: Samir Patel

Life isn’t pretty here at the Fort Worth regional spelling bee. That is, not if you’ve won the last two years, and you’re now competing for your third trip to Washington, as Samir Patel is. If that’s the case, few of your fellow spellers think warm thoughts about you.

Between rounds, some of the kids make remarks. Samir, eleven, has developed a new, methodical spelling style. He asks the pronouncer for a word’s clues—definition, language of origin—even if he clearly knows the word’s spelling; he wants to ensure he’s focused before his first letter. His deliberate approach irritates some of his competitors, who, in truth, are resentful that he shows up every year to claim the trophy. They chime in: “Stop, you’re annoying us—if you know the word just spell it.” He shoots back, “No, I want to be methodical, I do not want to make a mistake. It’s my choice.”

One of his older competitors goes a step further. By Samir’s account, the boy tells him, “I hope someone’s going to take you down this year.” Samir, slender and standing less than 4 and a half feet tall, retorts that no one’s going to take him down, and sets out to try and prove it.

Which will be no small feat. Every one of these forty-six kids has won their area bee, so this group represents the best spellers from more than 600 schools in Forth Worth and its surrounding counties. This city’s bee is one of the country’s toughest. To take the trophy on this stage, you’ve got to be ready to compete.


As I ride over to the Fort Worth regional bee this early March morning with Samir and his parents, Sudhir and Jyoti—they pick me up at my hotel—the Patels’ sense of anxiety is palpable.

The night before, Sudhir had graciously given me a tour of Dallas, with its imposing glass-covered skyscrapers and wide open spaces. As we munched through some of the best barbecue ever made, he was his normally talkative, humorous self—Sudhir finds something to chuckle about on a regular basis. This morning, however, he’s hunched in the driver’s seat in a tense scowl, his eyes hidden by sunglasses. Jyoti, too, though she’s affable as always, has a look of concern clouding her face. Samir is the only relaxed member of the Patel family. After a burst of nervousness earlier this morning, he now chats easily.

The good luck charms are in place. Jyoti, at her son’s request, wears her purple pantsuit that Samir feels brings good luck—she wore it during 2003 Nationals, when he placed third. To further court good fortune, Samir carries in his pocket a small red envelope decorated with a Chinese design, given to him by a family friend, with $20 tucked inside.

Jyoti, who is Samir’s coach, had remained a bundle of busy energy until today, wanting her son to study until the last minute. But Samir didn’t want to—he works hard until the day of competition, then lets go. To ready himself for a bee, he spends time with his father; Samir finds Sudhir’s presence calming.

Samir, in fact, seems to have a calm of his own...

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