October 23, 2008

Half the ads and much of the editorial in the November NBA preview issue are in 3-D. The issue, out this week, coincides with the release of SI Kids’ new book, In Your Face 3-D, featuring 3-D photos by SI photog David Klutho, who also shot the 3-D content for SI Kids.

In Your Face 3-D: The Best 3-D Book Ever! is filled with exciting, state-of-the-art 3-D images from just about every sport you can imagine. The book is packaged with a pair of high-grade 3-D glasses, which kids can re-use to see a special gallery of bonus 3-D images on SIKIDS.com.

What do you think? Good idea or gimmick?

While surfing museum staff can unusually maintain their cool with the constant stream of big-wave and big-name pro surfers wandering through, they were absolutely stoked with Layne’s appearance and happily lined up to have their photo taken with Australia’s most successful surf champion.

Organized by Rosemary Featherstone, owner of Torquay Book in conjunction with Layne’s publisher’s Random House, the event was a great success. In Surfworld’s auditorium, Layne held her jam-packed audience spellbound as she discussed the highs and lows of her career and life out of the ocean with local surfer Miyo Fallshaw.

After speaking, Layne received a rapturous reception from the crowd who shunned the prospect of a nice offshore with 3-4 ft waves to listen to her story. Her audience ranged from six-year-olds who were thrilled to hear that she started off on a foamy board like theirs, through to men and women old enough to be her grandparents and everyone in between. Looking relaxed, tanned and very fit, Layne openly discussed times good and bad, and gave thoughtful answers as well as causing a few laughs.

The no-holds-barred book delves into some pretty dark areas, but she admits that although there’s a lot of revelations, she did leave out a few items. “I left a few things out”, she admits. “You can’t tell everything”. But there’s enough to satisfy the most curious of surfers.

According to Brett Ince, coordinator of Surfworld and Torquay Visitor Centre, it was fantastic having the seven-time world champion at the museum. “Layne is a fantastic surfer and we are really proud to have her here in the Australian Surfing Hall Of Fame too”, he says.

Surfing curator Craig Baird was equally enthusiastic. “Layne has made such an amazing contribution to surfing and we are really proud of her”, he says.

Now Layne’s next challenge is finding an AUS$900,000 sponsor for the eponymous Beachley Classic, which will be held at her home beach of Manly in just a couple of weeks. “I’m confident it will go ahead”, she says of the richest women’s surfing event on the WCT.

Beneath The Waves, which Layne co-wrote with respected Australian journalist Michael Gordon is officially launched on October 1 2008.

Verdict – Beneath The Waves should be compulsive reading for any female considering a career in competitive surfing. No matter what kind of board you ride, it’s impossible not to be a woman surfer and not acknowledge and appreciate the difference that Layne has made for girls of all ages. BTW is an absorbing and incisive look at one of surfings’ most mercurial and elusive souls. While multi-award winning journalist Michael Gordon covers the main bases of Layne’s life that have long been in the public domain, BTW goes into the rocky details, the intense personal stuff that you or I might prefer to keep quiet. How she was conceived from a rape, how she’s been insensitive to other people, how her determination to succeed has cost her friends. Recognised as a driven and dedicated world champion, Layne has always been willing to make the sacrifices and put herself on the line to achieve her dreams. She’s faced down personal and professional demons; from overcoming chronic fatigue and never feeling pretty, fit or slim enough, to seeing through the head-games from other competitors, demands from sponsors and the constant stresses from juggling work, family and friends. This revealing story gives a perceptive insight into the woman, whose single-minded approach has been admired and emulated, even while it’s also caused her grief on a personal and competitive level. This revealing book shows Layne at her best and worst. It’s smart, compelling and makes fascinating reading. The perfect gift for any surfer. 

Layne Beachley: Beneath The Waves – Michael Gordon with Layne Beachley
Random House A$34.95

http://www.surfworld.org.au
http://www.aimforthestars.com.au/
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/Books/Default.aspx?Page=Book&ID=9781741667288

September 16, 2008

The Associated Press is reporting that Ms. Williams scored a seven figure advance from Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Publishing division after several publishers bid on the book in a publicity-generating auction orchestrated by William Morris.  

Financial terms for the book were not disclosed, although the AP story indicates that the bidding reached at least $1.3 million.

Add that to the $1.5 million Serena received for winning the U.S. Open last week and it’s shaping up to be a pretty good month!

“Serena Williams is one of the world’s most remarkable athletes,” Grand Central editor Karen Kosztolnyik said Tuesday in a statement. “We’ve watched her rise to No. 1 despite physical and emotional setbacks, and her hard work and determination have inspired legions of fans young and old. Serena will give her memoir a strong motivational slant.”

Williams, 26, has won nine Grand Slam titles and, with sister Venus Williams, won a gold medal in women’s doubles at the recent Olympics in Beijing.  She is renowned for her strength on court as well as her colorful outfits.

With a long career still hopefully ahead of her, it may be a tad early for a memoir.  Still, we’re looking forward to reading it. The still untitled book is scheduled to be released in 2009.

Will you add it to your reading list?

And of course, there are some great books in the Pretty Tough Shop…

July 17, 2008

Kay Ryan , an award-winning poet and self-described “modern hermit,” was named the next U.S. poet laureate today. The Library of Congress announced that the lifelong Californian, whose compressed, metaphysical poetry has been compared to Emily Dickinson’s , will become the 16th U.S. poet laureate, starting in the autumn.

How she became a poet, however, is closely tied to her love of cycling. In her twenties, she and a friend left California on a 4,000-mile cross-country bicycle trip, which would give her time to think about whether to devote herself to poetry as a vocation.

As the friends pedaled through Colorado, the repetitive, rhythmic exercise gave Ryan a sense of oneness with her surroundings. In that moment of heightened awareness, Ryan, realized  she liked writing better than anything else.

Since then, Ryan has fashioned a life conducive to poetry, one in which the essential elements of that bike trip - repetition, expansiveness, and large intellectual leaps - shape both her daily routine and her voice as a writer.

And since that ephiphany on the seat of her bike, Ryan has been the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as numerous prestigious literary awards. Not bad for a woman who was once considered too independent to be accepted by her college’s poetry club.  Ride on Kay….

1. What was your inspiration to write Pretty Tough and Playing with the Boys?
The concept!  I was impressed with the company “Pretty Tough” (prettytough.com) and their mission to support girls in their quest to be both strong and tough athletes without losing their sense of girlie-ness and femininity.  I loved the idea of writing books about teenagers for teenagers that sends a positive message.

2. Do you have a sister? If so, are you more like Charlie or Krista? Or are you closer to Lucy?
I do have a sister and our relationship actually inspired the first book.  Although neither of us are like Charlie or Krista, we’re very, very different and when we were younger, didn’t always see eye to eye.  So the themes and feelings are drawn from my own life, but not the characters.  I probably am the most like Lucy, in that I moved across the country for high school and it was hard to fit in right away.  But I’d like to think there’s a little of me in each of them – at times, I’ve been a rebel like Charlie, I’ve enjoyed fleeting popularity like Krista, and I’ve struggled to find my place and prove myself like Lucy, even when the odds weren’t in my favor.

3. Are you or were you an athlete?
I’m definitely more of an athlete now then I was as a teenager.  I liked theater and singing, and with the exception of tennis, didn’t do much else.  I did play soccer when I was a little kid, but got in trouble for doing cartwheels and picking dandelions in the backfield.  In college, I did crew which taught me about being on a team and I’ve played soccer (badly) as an adult.  Now, I love being athletic – with biking, spinning, hiking, kayaking, yoga, pilates, even trampolining – but I still don’t have a lot of team experience.

(more…)

All you have to do is tell us your “screwball” story. Ashley, like many athletes, has to sacrifice for her sport. Tell us about a time when you had to sacrifice something (Prom, another sport, television time, party, friends, etc.) for your sport.  

How to enter:
Send your story to screwball@prettytough.com. Three winners will be selected at random. The contest runs from March 11 - March 31st, 2008. Winners will be notified by email on April 1st, 2008. You must have your parent’s permission to be interviewed for the profile if you are under age 18.  

Playing with the Boys

New girl Lucy is desperate for friends. She tries out for Beachwood High soccer, but despite her amazingly accurate kick, fails to make the team. When the Coach points out that varsity football is looking for a new kicker, Lucy is skeptical. Football? Isn’t that a boys’ game?

But on the gridiron Lucy discovers that she feels strong—in control for the first time since her mother died. She loves football. She actually wants to play! (She also wants to hang out with super-cute quarterback Ryan Conner. But that’s just icing on the cake.)

Too bad no one else wants her on the team. Not the boys’ coach, not her teammates, and especially not her overprotective dad. Will Lucy cave in to the pressure? Or will she prove she’s pretty tough after all?

Publisher: Razorbill
On sale: April 10, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-59514-112-5
Ages: Young Adult
Format: Paperback novel/256 pages

Playing With The Boys at Amazon

Reviews for Playing with the Boys:
A great story! This book encourages young women to unleash the potential to play one of the best sports on earth. As a female football player, I hope more young women see that they aren’t limited to just being one of the girls.  Jamie Flynt – Alabama Renegades

Another slam dunk for Liz Tigelaar. “Playing with the Boys” is a great example of how chick lit meets sports lit with stellar results.  - Taylor M.

… a thoroughly enjoyable novel. - the Book Muncher

Pretty Tough novels are like receiving two scoops of ice cream for the price of one – books filled to the brim with high school drama and a sporty back story millions of athletes hunger for. - Keri Mikulski, author of Screwball

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

So that got us to thinking. What do other athletes read or listen to when on the road?

USA Weekend asked Swimmer Cristina Teuscher who said her favorite book is Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. Pitcher Lisa Fernandex likes books by Mary Higgins Clark.

According to their U.S. Figure Skating bios, Kimmie Meisner ’s fave book is I Am The Great Horse by Katherine Roberts and Rachael Flatt loves Marley and Me and Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven. 

Gymnast Nastia Liukin likes Someone Like You by Sarah Dressen.

What’s your fave book?

In 2007, best-selling author Jodi Picoult penned a few installments of the comic-book series after a graphic section in her novel “The Tenth Circle” caught the eye of a DC Comics editor. While Picoult was initially hesitant, with prompting from her three children, she signed on. The gig was a complete change of pace from her doorstop-thick, twisty-turny novels but her issues were generally well received even by comic book afficianados.

With the release of  “Wonder Woman” No. 14, the superhero gets her first permanent, ongoing female scribe. Writer Gail Simone got her start 10 years ago when she published a blog titled “Women in Refrigerators” listing the many instances in which female comic book characters were the victims of violent attacks. That led to a job for the all-female comic “Birds of Prey” — which became a short-lived, live-action TV series. She’s a gifted comedy-action writer who also wrote for Marvel’s “Deadpool” before landing the Wonder Woman gig.

Now the fact that a woman is writing one of the DC Comics’ key characters shouldn’t really be headline news but unfortunately that’s the case. Hopefully Gail’s ascension through the glass ceiling will be followed by many others.

If you haven’t been following the adventures of the Amazonian goddess lately, it might be a good time to tune back in.