Assani Fisher
Footballguy
who is up?
Whomever is at 5.07 is up.who is up?
can you take a PM from me with my pick?I am picking 6.06 so I have a while.Back from dinner - will post writeup shortly
The story starts with the Persian Shahryar, king of an unnamed island "between India and China" (in modern editions based on Arab transcripts he is king of India and China), who is so shocked by his wife's infidelity that he kills her and, believing all women to be likewise unfaithful, gives his vizier an order to get him a new wife every night (in some versions, every third night). After spending one night with his bride, the king has her executed at dawn. This practice continues for some time, until the vizier's clever daughter Shahrazad (the name is perhaps better-known in English as "Scheherazade" or "Shahrastini", which is a Persian name) forms a plan and volunteers to become Shahrayar's next wife. Every night after their marriage, she spends hours telling him stories, each time stopping at dawn with a cliff-hanger, so the king will postpone the execution out of a desire to hear the rest of the tale. In the end, she has given birth to three sons, and the king has been convinced of her faithfulness and revoked his decree.
The tales vary widely; they include historical tales, love stories, tragedies, comedies, poems, burlesques and Muslim religious legends. Some of the famous stories Shahrazad spins in many western translations are Aladdin's Lamp, Sindbad the Sailor, and the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; however Aladdin and Ali Baba were in fact inserted only in the 18th century by Antoine Galland, a French orientalist, who had heard them in oral form from a Maronite story-teller from Aleppo in Syria. Numerous stories depict djinns, magicians, and legendary places, which are often intermingled with real people and geography; the historical caliph Harun al-Rashid is a common protagonist. Sometimes a character in Scheherazade's tale will begin telling other characters a story of his own, and that story may have another one told within it, resulting in a richly layered narrative texture.
Sure. But try to pick a category I've already used (and avoid my flex)can you take a PM from me with my pick?I am picking 6.06 so I have a while.Back from dinner - will post writeup shortly

The surprise of the draft.5.07 / كتاب ألف ليلة و ليلة (The Book of One Thousand and One Nights) / Abu abd-Allah Muhammed el-Gahshigar / 9th century / Short Story Collection
Went with perhaps the most famous frame tale of all for my short story collection. Of course I'm referring to Scheherazade, who volunteers for some hazardous duty, but proves to be up to the challenge.
The story starts with the Persian Shahryar, king of an unnamed island "between India and China" (in modern editions based on Arab transcripts he is king of India and China), who is so shocked by his wife's infidelity that he kills her and, believing all women to be likewise unfaithful, gives his vizier an order to get him a new wife every night (in some versions, every third night). After spending one night with his bride, the king has her executed at dawn. This practice continues for some time, until the vizier's clever daughter Shahrazad (the name is perhaps better-known in English as "Scheherazade" or "Shahrastini", which is a Persian name) forms a plan and volunteers to become Shahrayar's next wife. Every night after their marriage, she spends hours telling him stories, each time stopping at dawn with a cliff-hanger, so the king will postpone the execution out of a desire to hear the rest of the tale. In the end, she has given birth to three sons, and the king has been convinced of her faithfulness and revoked his decree.
The tales vary widely; they include historical tales, love stories, tragedies, comedies, poems, burlesques and Muslim religious legends. Some of the famous stories Shahrazad spins in many western translations are Aladdin's Lamp, Sindbad the Sailor, and the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; however Aladdin and Ali Baba were in fact inserted only in the 18th century by Antoine Galland, a French orientalist, who had heard them in oral form from a Maronite story-teller from Aleppo in Syria. Numerous stories depict djinns, magicians, and legendary places, which are often intermingled with real people and geography; the historical caliph Harun al-Rashid is a common protagonist. Sometimes a character in Scheherazade's tale will begin telling other characters a story of his own, and that story may have another one told within it, resulting in a richly layered narrative texture.
looks like cosjobs is upI am off to a poker tournament.
I PMed my picks to Ivan. He may make them without waiting the half hour.
I will blithely take that as a compliment.The surprise of the draft.5.07 / كتاب ألف ليلة و ليلة (The Book of One Thousand and One Nights) / Abu abd-Allah Muhammed el-Gahshigar / 9th century / Short Story Collection

Tales of Ordinary Madness - CHarles Bukowski - short stories
This I don't understand. Why would you draft a book that you don't care for? Who are you trying to impress? Pick books that you enjoy and it makes the exercise more entertaining and meaningful.5.08 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - Drama
I'm not a huge fan of this book, but it's been labeled as one of the best novels of all time by several sources. Pretty much works as a critique of social life during any time period. Plus I wanted to round out my squad with a female author.
"Where the Wild Things Are"?No one's taken my favorite book of all time.
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I don't like Terrell Owens one bit, yet I'd happily draft him. Isn't this a competition?This I don't understand. Why would you draft a book that you don't care for? Who are you trying to impress? Pick books that you enjoy and it makes the exercise more entertaining and meaningful.5.08 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - Drama
I'm not a huge fan of this book, but it's been labeled as one of the best novels of all time by several sources. Pretty much works as a critique of social life during any time period. Plus I wanted to round out my squad with a female author.
I didn't "enjoy" 1984 but it needed to be drafted because it was a book which I caused me to rethink my ideas of what I thought our world and how it worked.I don't like Terrell Owens one bit, yet I'd happily draft him. Isn't this a competition?This I don't understand. Why would you draft a book that you don't care for? Who are you trying to impress? Pick books that you enjoy and it makes the exercise more entertaining and meaningful.5.08 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - Drama
I'm not a huge fan of this book, but it's been labeled as one of the best novels of all time by several sources. Pretty much works as a critique of social life during any time period. Plus I wanted to round out my squad with a female author.
I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
), and perhaps one of my favorite fictional characters of all time: Jack Shaftoe. (You may be familiar with the Waterhouses and Shaftoes of Stephenson's Cryptonomicon - also a great read).I know, hence why I wasn't sure how to classify it. I'd be fine if it was made my flex - would prefer it to be sci/fi but I'd understand if it wasn't as the argument for it is shaky at best.Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
You have a point there.It's a great book, and he's still got his flex spot. Let's see what the rest of the group says.Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
And I should clarify, just because I didn't particularly like this book doesn't me it isn't one of the greatest of all time. I had it tops on my drama cheatsheets and was surprised it was still there.I don't like Terrell Owens one bit, yet I'd happily draft him. Isn't this a competition?This I don't understand. Why would you draft a book that you don't care for? Who are you trying to impress? Pick books that you enjoy and it makes the exercise more entertaining and meaningful.5.08 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - Drama
I'm not a huge fan of this book, but it's been labeled as one of the best novels of all time by several sources. Pretty much works as a critique of social life during any time period. Plus I wanted to round out my squad with a female author.
No problem. I agree great book.You have a point there.It's a great book, and he's still got his flex spot. Let's see what the rest of the group says.Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
I don't want to cause any controversy. If one more person questions it, just make it my flex. Just here to have some fun and am enjoying myself and have been impressed so far by the selections.You have a point there.It's a great book, and he's still got his flex spot. Let's see what the rest of the group says.Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.
Now I feel bad. Don't want to cause an issue either but since I'll be judging later I thought I should mention it.I don't want to cause any controversy. If one more person questions it, just make it my flex. Just here to have some fun and am enjoying myself and have been impressed so far by the selections.You have a point there.It's a great book, and he's still got his flex spot. Let's see what the rest of the group says.Murder and the supernatural usually mean horror to me.I think given what happens in the book, we can allow scifi6.03 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - Sci/fi maybe? Fantasy? If not, flex.
Here I went back to great books that I like. I never thought this would make it this far. A quintessential book on man's inner demons.![]()
Yes. How did you know?"Where the Wild Things Are"?No one's taken my favorite book of all time.
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If you´re starting a non-fiction draft after this one, I would be interested. Would be even willing to adapt my sleeping habits for it and use one of those spell checker.Yeah, the non-fiction category is ultra-deep. I've got about half a dozen entries there that I know will not be drafted. It's tempting to just wait and grab one or two at the very end.I did with my first pick. Although I'm confident I got some greats at every slot so I want to guess which ones may be taken and which won't.
I do wish the non-fiction category was broken down more, there's so many great choices there.In fact, I think that when this is ovah, we should have a just non-fiction draft, with categories that reflect different types of non-fiction: philosophy, theology, science, political theory, biography, autobiography etc.

I'm not too proud to admit I've never even heard of Scudder, and I read a lot of that genre (sounds a bit like another shamus from down Tipsy's way)."With Bukowski, the votes are still coming in. There seems to be no middle ground-people seem either to love him or hate him." - couldn't ring any truer. Let's just say I khonw him, but I don't love him.No love for Block / Scudder or Bukowski? There I go over-estimating my audience again.
Lawrence Block authored the Matthew Scudder detective series. THey started in 1961 and are still going. Says Block, "In the early books, he’s an angst-ridden hard-drinking ex-cop and unlicensed private eye. In later books he’s sober. He’s twenty-five years older than when I first started writing about him, and he’s gone through changes, even as you and I. Remember what Eubie Blake said on his 100th birthday? "if I’d known I was going to last this long I’d have taken better care of myself."
Novels from this series had won Edgar Award, Shamus Award, and Maltese Falcon Award fo best mystery/detective novel as well as many nominations.
I very highly recommend this series to anyone. "When the Sacrec Ginmill CLoses" is a great starting point, and probably my personal favorite (1981).
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Charles Bukowski is my favorite write of all-time. "Tales of Ordinary MAdness" is a collection of short storied and poetry
"Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness," was the original title, and more accurately describes the content than does its current truncated version.
"With Bukowski, the votes are still coming in. There seems to be no middle ground-people seem either to love him or hate him. Tales of his own life and doings are as wild and weird as the very stories he writes. In a sense, Bukowski was a legend in his time . . . a madman, a recluse, a lover . . . tender, vicious . . . never the same . . . these are exceptional stories that come pounding out of his violent and depraved life . . . horrible and holy, you cannot read them and ever come away the same again"
"a professional disturber of the peace... laureate of the Los Angeles netherworld (writes with) a crazy romantic insistence that losers are less phony than winners, and with an angry compassion for the lost." -Jack Kroll, Newsweek
This book was the basis for a so-so movie, starring Ben Gazarra. The portrayal by Mickey Rourke was far superior in the under-rated movie "Barfly," which also draws form these short stories.
I met Buk at Hollywood Park a few years before he died. We talked the ponies and made a few bets together, mostly losers.
I used to aspire to ne a writer, but after reading his work, I figured he said everything I wanted to and lost the desire. Read him. Thank me later.
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I am snockered at 3 am CST. If it gets to me before 11-12 CST, go ahead and pass me, I'll catch up.
Mornin' y'all.I switched my last pick6.05 "Heart of Darkness" - Joseph Conrad (Thriller)
It is a marvelous, if mostly dark, quilt of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In an ingenious framework to open and close the book, Bradbury presents himself as a nameless narrator who meets the Illustrated Man--a wanderer whose entire body is a living canvas of exotic tattoos. What's even more remarkable, and increasingly disturbing, is that the illustrations are themselves magically alive, and each proceeds to unfold its own story, such as "The Veldt," wherein rowdy children take a game of virtual reality way over the edge. Or "Kaleidoscope," a heartbreaking portrait of stranded astronauts about to reenter our atmosphere--without the benefit of a spaceship. Or "Zero Hour," in which invading aliens have discovered a most logical ally--our own children. Even though most were written in the 1940s and 1950s, these 18 classic stories will be just as chillingly effective 50 years from now.