Jul 13, 2007

Wherein we thank Peter for his Emu burgers and look ahead to poker in September


Many thanks to Peter for a fine evening on Tuesday. The "Emu" burgers with tamarind glaze were very tasty (darling, we all want that recipe!), and the Australian Shiraz was more than drinkable. John, take note: guests need not eat from cans heated over an open flame to feel the muse within.

While the food and drink were above standard, it's a shame that our book fell short. Oscar & Lucinda will have to rank among the poorer of our choices. Had anyone other than Roy and I actually finished the book, maybe our discussion would have been more favorable. That's a broad hint to those of you still on p. 124.

Apart from the book, though, the company also left something to be desired. With the arrival of Chris, the MBC has sunk to a new, literary low. Through force of personality, and a little charm and swagger (he does manage other people's money, after all), Mr. B succeeded in tearing us away from our usual selection criteria in favor of murder/poker/showgirls. Our next book, therefore, is Positively Fifth Street, a non-fiction account of the World Series of Poker and the Ted Binion murder trial by James McManus. Here's an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Positively-Fifth-Street-James-McManus/dp/0312422520/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8970648-5624023?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184168482&sr=8-1

(Please note that this deviation is an EXCEPTION. We return to our usual nail-biting, cliff-hanging Pulitzers immediately thereafter!!)

By special request, we are skipping August and will meet at Mr. B's residence on September 11. Given the nature of our reading material, the evening will feature discussion of the book along with a few hands of poker. As a measure of his sportsmanship, Chris has promised to drink heavily and lose graciously.

Between now and September 11, we wish Garth, John, and Tom well during their trip to Burning Man. Bring back pictures and stories for the rest of us! We also wish Stan well in Wyoming as he recuperates from his latest orthopedic intervention (hope that knee heals fast).

PS: Dan, choosing baseball over the Man Book Club is simply not good form. Next time tell us you're attending a Broadway opening. That will arouse our interest and understanding. All of us, that is, except Chris, who had the nerve to turn on the telly (I think that's Australian) during our discussion of Oscar & Lucinda....