Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
>If you can shut out the distractions coming from your human opponent
(who is probably trying to use all the social human weirdo tricks he or
she can to confuse you), you have a completely fair chance to win.  

This brought to my mind the photo of Marcel Duchamp playing a naked
Eve Babitz at (I think) the Pasadena Art Museum. And no, I can't
remember who won. 

I haven't read the book, but that Binet bit up there (and what's with
the fi and fl problem?) won me over. Even if it did screw up a question
I was trying to formulate about the relationship between your last
book (the disappearance of memory) and this one (where memory obviously
plays a large part, but not quite how I'd thought). 
  

    
There is a dynamic interaction (Interplay between the reading and
reflecting; when digesting considering, reflecting, and meditating
about the content and sections serving different emphasis.  

As someone considering this book and investigating the
educational-experiencing action I note how the mind-experience stories,
history, reflection interact in a learning action.   The Chess
narratives punctuate the history, memories interplay in me.  As
understanding and feeling the history between moves in “The Immortal
Game” one experiences the move and response then eagerly awaits the
next move. 
  

    
I'm coming to the west coast this week and hope some of you can come
hear me read and talk about the book. Here's my itinerary:

Redmond
Wednesday, September 20 -- 1:30PM
MICROSOFT  -- (for MS employees only)
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

Seattle
Wednesday, September 20 -- 7PM
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE
4326 University Way
Seattle, WA 98105
206-633-6443

San Francisco
Thursday, September 21 -- 7PM
CODY’S
2 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
510-845-0837

Marin County
Friday, September 22 -- 1PM
BOOK PASSAGE
51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925
415-927-0960

Santa Cruz
Saturday, September 23 -- 3PM
BORDERS
1200 Pacific Avenue, Suite 100 (Corner of Soquel Ave)
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
                                
We're raffling off a very cool chess set at EACH bookstore event, and
also giving one away online at our website: http://theimmortalgame.com

***

Praise for The Immortal Game:

"A thrilling tour . . .  an engaging, colorful look at a world that
blissfully remains black-and-white."
-- Entertainment Weekly

"Fascinating . . . [Shenk] writes about chess history with contagious
zest."
-- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Shenk weaves a masterful tale that all readers can enjoy, no matter
how little they know about chess."
-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Fun, factual, and a good read . . . Not a reference book to be stored
on a shelf [but] a book to be read and enjoyed, and even read again .
. . buy this book!"
-- Chess Life magazine

"Besides detailing chess's broader social significance, Shenk brings
it to life with tales of its personal impact . . . Shenk's passion will
leave readers yearning to play."
-- Fast Company

"A globe-spanning, brain-stretching social history . . . Shenk's
curiosity equips the reader to look at a board of chess pieces and
understand what got them there and the endless places they could go."
-- Paste Magazine

"Wonderful...a book filled with daring moves and cunning patience."
-- STEPHEN J. DUBNER, co-author, Freakonomics

"Like a great chess game, this is an achievement that will be talked
about for many years to come."
-- SIMON WINCHESTER, author, The Professor and the Madman and A Crack
in the Edge of the World

"Fresh and smart....explores and explains not only the addictive power
of chess but its shockingly important, Zelig-like role in the history
of humankind.''
-- STEFAN FATSIS, author, Word Freak; Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and
Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players

"An insightful look at chess, the icons of culture it has inspired,
and the surprising part the game plays in the narrative of the modern
world."
-- BRUCE PANDOLFINI, legendary chess instructor and author,
Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess

"One of the most remarkable books I've read over the past many years,
and its 'brilliancy' illuminates so much of life in all its aspects."
-- JONATHAN COTT, author, In the Sea of Memory

"Shenk takes his readers on a wonderful journey across the span of
time."
-- JERRY NASH, Scholastic and FIDE Director, U.S. Chess Federation
  

    
By the sound of it so far, all the book's readers who posted here
agree with those reviewers. People without a Well membership who are
reading this topic in real time can email their own questions and
comments to inkwell@well.com, so they can be copied here.
  

    
Well ... our two weeks are up and the Inkwell spotlight has
moved to a new conversation.   This one will remain open however
and Well members and non-members alike are welcome to continue.

Thanks to David and Patrick for some interesting thoughts.
  

    
Thanks a lot for writing the book and chatting with us, David! Your
grandmother's grandfather would be very proud of you for the great
service you've done for the chess community. 
  

    
Marcel Duchamp & Eve Babitz:

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/joopy/49901002/>
  

    
She'd just found out she was three months pregnant, as I remember. 
  

    <scribbled by emilyg Wed 23 Dec 09 08:47>