Letterati

Description

Charts the development of competitive Scrabble in North America and the control exerted by the holder of the game's trademark, Hasbro. Through more than 100 interviews, readers follow the evolution of the popular boardgame from the hustler-populated game rooms of New York in the 60s to the 2004 National Championship. Letterati examines the foundation of the game, the best players and the trademark. The examinations of the Scrabble club scene gives a flavour of the game and concludes with a look at how the game has been controlled by its various owners.

Paul McCarthy is a freelance magazine writer who has appeared in "American Health," "Equinox," "Omni," "Oncology Today," "Psychology Today," "The Scientist," and others. He has been a club and tournament "Scrabble" player for 11 years and is ranked in the top 10 percent of players in North America. He lives in Littleton, Colorado.

"Who knew the world of competitive Scrabble was so cutthroat, so compelling, so organized? . . . "Letterati" will surely appeal to those who are ardent fans of the game, but even a casual player will find something flabbergasting in McCarthy's doggedly ethnographic examination." --"The Bloomsbury Review" "Exhaustively researched. . . . An interesting history, commentary on strategy, wordplay, rule evolution, and numerous character sketches will appeal to those with an above-average interest in the game." --"Scene Magazine" "McCarthy, who is ranked in the top 10 percent of Scrabble players in the country, pulls back the curtain on other obsessive letterati." --"The St. Petersburg Times"