Michael Craig's Journal

I just started reading Peter Alson’s TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, an account of Peter’s play at the World Series last year, wedding not long after, and his life at the crossroads. I’m sure I’m not doing the book justice through that description and my initial reaction, if I didn’t know the author, would be, “Another guy telling us how he did at the World Series? Wow.”

But Alson is a great, great writer. One of the reasons I became interested in poker was because my friend Steve, with whom I shared a law office in Chicago, had a copy of a 1989 ESQUIRE in the office bathroom for two years, and I read Alson’s “Chan is Bluffing (I Think)” at least 200 times.

Alson is now better known as co-author of ONE OF A KIND (with Nolan Dalla) about Stu Ungar, and another terrific book, ATLAS, about boxing trainer Teddy Atlas. I’ve only gotten to read ABOUT the Atlas book, but a bad book about Atlas would be readable and I know that Peter is not capable of writing a bad book.

So I got a copy of RIVER but hadn’t read it yet. I’m so busy with my own poker playing, plus the FULL TILT book, plus this blog, plus all the reunions with poker friends, writing friends, and poker-writing friends, that I haven’t done much leisure reading.

I woke up today (just before the fire alarm went off - again) and took it to the bathroom. Maybe Peter’s work just resonates best on the toilet but I opened to a random page and read an anecdote that I thought was wonderful and hilarious.

I e-mailed Peter to tell him how much I was enjoying book, both because it was the truth and because I felt a little guilty. Peter hadn’t yet secured an entry into the Main Event and played the media tournament last night, I think, because I gave him the incorrect information that first prize was a buy-in to the Championship. I also offered to take a piece of him if he was developing a list of backers.

He wrote back, flattered at my compliment about his book and apparently more flattered that I would take a piece of him in the Championship. Peter’s a good guy, a friend, and a good poker player. Being a talented writer didn’t fit in this equation, but he has that going for him as well.

In a follow-up e-mail, we briefly discussed some terms. I haven’t heard from him since this morning about it.

I went by the front desk of my hotel a little while ago, coincidentally, to meet my friend Steve, who had just flown in from Chicago. When I walked into the tiny lobby, I was surprised to see a woman with a chimpanzee on a leash. The chimp was very well mannered, picking up something that dropped on the floor and shaking hands with the desk clerk. It was like the woman had a very mature (and very hairy) seven-year old child with her.

Woman and monkey gone, the clerk said to me, trying to make conversation, “Some monkey.”

I replied, also trying to make conversation, “Yeah.”

“That monkey’s going to play in the World Series. Isn’t that something?”

“Does the monkey need a backer?”

“Don’t know about that.”

“Well, I offered to back a writer named Peter Alson but I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“He’s supposed to be a good poker player.”

“Peter? He’s a terrific writer and I think he’s a good player, but I don’t -”

“No, the monkey.”

“I’ll have to take your word,” I told him. “But if I don’t hear from Alson and the monkey’s looking for someone to take a piece, you have my room number.”

 

This entry was posted on Friday, July 28th, 2006 at 9:13 pm and is filed under My favourites:.