For just $20, you can see some of award winning writers play basketball against publishing powerhouses, including Jonny Diamond (Lit Hub), Katie Freeman (Riverhead), Mitchell S. Jackson (The Residue Years), Téa Obreht (The Tiger’s Wife), and Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Heaven). There’ll be drinks and snacks at the game donated by Brooklyn Brewery, Archer Roose, and Shake Shack.
The Other NBA, sponsored by Out of Print and Litsy, will help BookUp students develop a lifelong passion for reading and start their first personal libraries.
On June 15, your favorite writers take on publishers in the National Book Foundation’s charity basketball game.
Proceeds from The Other NBA will benefit BookUp, our reading program for underserved youth that just launched its first site dedicated to LGBTQ readers.
The most storied basketball game in literary history returns on June 15!
The Other NBA 2016, presented by Out of Print and Litsy, features award-winning writers defending their title against publishing powerhouses, including Katie Freeman, Alex Gilvarry, Mitchell S. Jackson, Chris Jackson, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Kristen Radtke, and Tina “The Other Michael” Jordan. (Full roster below.)
All proceeds will support BookUp, the National Book Foundation’s reading program for underserved youth, which recently launched its first site for LGBTQ readers.
Beer is lovingly provided by The Brooklyn Brewery. Wine is generously donated by Archer Roose. And snacks are graciously provided Shake Shack. (The food is free at halftime, and beverages are available throughout the game with a suggested donation.)
Writers team: Reginald Dwayne Betts (Bastards of the Reagan Era) Natalie Diaz (When My Brother Was an Aztec) Alex Gilvarry (From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant) Mitchell S. Jackson (The Residue Years) Jeffrey McDaniel (Chapel of Inadvertent Joy) Tea Obreht (The Tiger’s Wife) Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Heaven) Kristen Radtke (Imagine Wanting Only This) Coach: Dan P Sheehan
Publishers team: Stephanie Anderson (Darien Library) Jonny Diamond (Literary Hub) Katie Freeman (Riverhead) Chris Jackson (One World) Tina Jordan (Association of American Publishers) Steph Opitz (Marie Claire) Calvin Reid (Publishers Weekly) Matt Ringler (Scholastic) Jon Schulman (Word Bookstore) Coach: Lisa Lucas
Announcers: Jason Diamond (Men’s Journal) Yahdon Israel (#LiterarySwag) Lincoln Michel (Upright Beasts) Kevin Minh-Huy Nguyen (Google Books)
Referees: Dave Hatchett Rob Spillman (All Tomorrow’s Parties) Paul W. Morris (PEN)
That’s National Book Award Finalist Jess Walter (number 10) when he played for East Valley High School. He’ll be returning to the basketball court this Saturday for The Other NBA!
Tickets are $25 ($30 at the door), and proceeds benefit BookUp, a reading program for middle school students in low-income communities.
You can go the park almost any weekend in the summer and see the same thing. But this game, this could be the first and the last. Don’t do for us. Do it for those kids in Detroit. Don’t forget we have Pulitzer winner Greg Pardlo’s playlist. Where else can you hear his DJ skills?
The Other NBA will support the expansion of BookUp, the National Book Foundation’s after-school reading program, into Detroit, a city with 47% adult illiteracy rate.
On June 20, the National Book Foundation (presenter of the National Book Awards) is hosting The Other NBA, a charity basketball game featuring winning writers vs. publishing powerhouses. Proceeds will support BookUp, the Foundation’s after school reading program, expand into Detroit, a city with a 47% adult illiteracy rate.
Young writers often overcompensate by having their characters wear Air Jordans. If your novel can’t stand on its own without every character wearing the latest AJs, it probably isn’t very good.
On June 20, winning writers take on publishing powerhouses. Tickets are just $25, and proceeds will support the expansion of BookUp (our reading program for students in underserved communities) to Detroit and beyond.
Sometimes our Twitter users mix-up the National Basketball Association (#NBA) with the National Book Awards (#NBAwards). That same confusion inspired our first spring fundraiser: The Other NBA, a charity basketball featuring award winning writers.
At St. Francis College in Brooklyn on June 20, you can support the expansion of BookUp, our after-school reading program, to Detroit and Pittsburgh while you watch National Book Award Finalist Jess Walter acclaimed writer and BookUp instructor Mitchell S. Jackson compete against the movers and shakers of the publishing world.
Barnes and Nobles is gonna start serving food and alcohol.
Everybody’s cracking jokes about how it’s a desperate attempt to stay relevant in the age of Amazon.
But you know what? Props to them. This is exactly what Blockbuster didn’t do. At no point was Blockbuster like “Hey, movie rentals aren’t the lucrative enterprise they once were. Perhaps it’s time we become known for our cheesy garlic bread.”
patrexes
that’s a fantastic plan, honestly? i would 100% go sit at a bookshop, buy a glass of wine, and pick up the newest biography. 50/50 i’d decide to buy it after a couple chapters, and even if i don’t, that’s still money i spent at B&N!
They could host book clubs with food and drinks where one of the employees shares their experiences with a book of their choice and tries to convince the guests to buy it.
Barnes and noble realizing the only reason people go to brick and mortar stores is for the experience and access to an enjoyable physical space they can socialize in (sure isnt for the price) and capitalizing on that is a stroke of genius and a really refreshing approach to the dilemma of competing with online stores
alwaysbringabookwithyou
