Queer theorist and longtime Duke University Press author Erica Rand took up figure skating as an adult, out of a desire to compete in the Gay Games. In this book composed of short pieces, she combines anecdote, memoir, and queer cultural studies to reflect on topics ranging from her ambivalence about the straight femininity that figure skating requires, to the relation of sports injury to her own cancer scare. She compares figure skating to women's hockey and roller derby and discusses the financial and emotional costs of competition. Through Rand's narration, the pleasures and political complexities of the sport come through in a compelling way.

In her forties, Erica Rand bought a pair of figure skates to vary her workout routine. Within a few years, the college professor was immersed in adult figure skating. Here, in short, incisive essays, she describes the pleasures to be found in the rink, as well as the exclusionary practices that make those pleasures less accessible to some than to others. Throughout the book, Rand situates herself as a queer femme, describing her mixed feelings about participating in a sport with heterosexual story lines and rigid standards for gender-appropriate costumes and moves. She chronicles her experiences competing in the Gay Games and at the annual U.S. Adult National Figure Skating Championship, or "Adult Nationals"; Aided by her comparative study of roller derby and women's hockey, including a brief attempt to play hockey herself, she addresses matters such as skate color conventions, judging systems, racial and sexual norms, transgender issues in sports, and the economics of athletic participation and risk taking. Mixing sharp critique with genuine appreciation and delight, Rand suggests ways to make figure skating more inclusive, while portraying the unlikely friendships facilitated by sports and the sheer elation of gliding on ice.

"“[Rand’s] personal love for skating shines through the essays collected in Red Nails, Black Skates, leading to an incisive yet upbeat analysis of both the sport's shortcomings and the depths of its potential.”" - Shelf Awareness

"“A book of essays by self-described ‘queer femme’ Rand, a figure-skating college professor who competed in the Gay Games in 2006, in which she examines the exclusionary practices in the sport (heterosexual storylines and rigidly gendered costumes, for example) but also takes time to celebrate the joy of sliding about the ice.”" - Diva

"“I really enjoyed Erica Rand's study of gender, politics, and the pleasure of skating; she has a love for the sport and a critical eye to what is going on at and under the surface. . . . Figure skating is an area where sport, gender, sex, politics, money, and race come together in a fascinating way. Erica Rand's writing combines the personal details of her life and experiences as a skater with research into different aspects of sport and gender theory. . . . The book is accessible to skating enthusiasts and well worth reading. If you're looking for ways to pass the time before the 2012-13 skating season starts, definitely consider picking up this book.”" - Crowding the Book Truck

"“Rather than being overly academic, Red Nails is smart and witty and warmly personal, a fascinating read for anyone interested in LGBT sports and queer lives.“" - The Advocate

"I recently sacrificed hours of sleep to read Red Nails, Black Skates: Gender, Cash and Pleasure On and Off the Ice by Erica Rand. The short essays in the book present the witty, emotional and often hilarious insights of a professor who took up competitive adult skating fuelled by a love of skating and a desire to think about the gender and social norms that seem so natural to the sport.” - Winnipeg Free Press

"“This is a captivating book that is, simultaneously, all about, and not just about, figure skating. . . . Read this book if you contemplate pleasure and/or seek an understanding of pleasure. The ultimate pleasure in this project, for the reader, may lie in her mapping the interactions among bodies that both complicate and simplify being happy within your own skin.”" - Feminist Formations

"“Red Nails, Black Skates is a good read, bringing together critique of the sociopolitics of figure skating with numerous everyday facets of Rand’s life. … Feminized sports are often dismissed by dominant culture, making her contribution to critical sport and gender studies ever more important. Rand’s book is pleasurable, not only for its engaging narratives about the intricacies of the skating world, but also for critical analysis of sport and athletic life.”" - GLQ