L.A. Literary Magazine Softball tournament

Today was a great day. I got to marry my love of softball with my love of literature in a one-day tournament held between people associated with the L.A. literary scene. Game one was Red Hen Press versus Slake Magazine (the organizers... I had a feeling they were going to be good - possibly the only good team there! I mean, let's face it. Writing short stories and playing softball generally aren't two skills that go hand in hand).

In fact, all of the teams were good. Except mine. Red Hen and Slake Magazine played a pretty close game. Supposedly the idea was to put uncoordinated pasty people on the field and laugh, but it seemed like most of the players on both of these teams knew how to play. Red Hen won Game #1.

By the time Game #2 started, most of the Black Clock team had not showed up. We borrowed from other teams and I guess I was still laboring under the delusion that we could win. I was ready to kick L.A. Review of Books' butts, even though they were all men and we were all women and their pitcher was pitching just a little bit fast and low for slow pitch. I kept trying to strategically move people around the field so we could catch up, but we lost by at least ten, possibly by quite a lot more.

Still, I wish every day could be today. I love books and I love softball, and I love it when two seemingly disparate parts of my life come together.

Here's the LA Times preview of the tourney:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/11/the-softball-battle-of-the-la-indie-publishers.html