Cheaters. Also, Champions.

The Cheaters Cup is now in the possession of The Fightin' Caziques — Morgan Clendaniel and Gideon Friedman — the winners of 826NYC's Scrabble For Cheaters tournament. They hold the title and the trophy until next year.

More on all the cheaters later at www.826nyc.org.

You Can Buy Your Way Out Of Bad Letters

Time Out New York's article about Scrabble For Cheaters is out now.

Melena Ryzik give us a sweet shout out in today's New York Times Urban Eye.

The Brooklyn Papers misquoted me, pretty severely. Sigh.

Sign-ups are closed. Sponsor a team. The smackdown is soon.

Scrabble for Cheaters

The New Yorker mentions it.
Daily Candy mentioned it.
Jason Kottke mentioned it.
And there's more to come in the next few days too.
So now I'll mention it.

Scrabble For Cheaters: a(nother) benefit for 826NYC.

Start a team. Or pledge money to another team. Either way, you'll support cheating, winning, words, etc.

Please.

The Book of Other People: A Benefit Reading

I hope you will attend.



THE BOOK OF OTHER PEOPLE:
A BENEFIT READING

826NYC & Penguin Books present an all-star reading from Zadie Smith’s newest book of new stories by contemporary authors

Hosted by ZADIE SMITH, and with readings by:
GEORGE SAUNDERS
VENDELA VIDA
and very special guest
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

Symphony Space
Wednesday, January 16th, 8pm
2537 Broadway (at 95th Street), New York
Tickets available at symphonyspace.org
Or by calling: 212-864-5400


826NYC and Penguin Books present a benefit reading to celebrate the release of THE BOOK OF OTHER PEOPLE, a collection of brand new stories by contemporary authors edited by Zadie Smith. ZADIE SMITH will host this special event, which will feature readings by two of the book’s contributors, GEORGE SAUNDERS, and VENDELA VIDA, plus a rare reading by actress MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL. There will be a book signing and Q & A after the reading.

All proceeds from the book and reading will benefit 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

826 on 8/26

Some children like to write books, some children like to eat books: buy tickets and support them both.

Tickets will be on sale today at 10:00 a.m. for the revenge of Revenge of the Book Eaters: a benefit for 826NYC at The Beacon Theatre on 8/26.

We promise a show in which: A.C. NEWMAN sings alone. GRIZZLY BEAR is a band. FEIST reads from a book. JIM JAMES croons. SARAH VOWELL speaks. DEMETRI MARTIN hosts.

www.bookeaters.org

TINY SMOOSHY SUNDAY ON FIRE

Kid rock.
For real.

Tiny Smooshy Sunday On Fire
A benefit for 826NYC
featuring SMOOSH, TINY MASTERS OF TODAY, and CARE BEARS ON FIRE, and hosted by MARTHA PLIMPTON

Sunday, June 3rd, 2p.m.
Southpaw (125 5th Avenue, Brooklyn)
Tickets: $25 adults /$10 ages 16 and under

The World, Explained explained

I'm a fan of that syntax, and if you are my friend then you must like it too. And so I'll see you at said show, tonight.

On Tuesday, April 10, you should join 826NYC, 826LA, and McSweeney's for THE WORLD, EXPLAINED: an evening of erudite comedy and fact-based entertainment. (Which means: stories, music, and extreme Powerpoint presentations.)

John Oliver (Daily Show correspondent), David Rakoff (author of Fraud), Joshua Davis (the lightest man ever to compete in the U.S. Sumo Open), and Rodney Rothman (former Undeclared and Letterman writer) will explain The World to you. Or, parts of it. The confusing parts. Parts like: The Intricacies Of Lightweight Sumo Wrestling, How To Create Your Own Fake Boy Band, 525,600 Reasons To Pay Your Rent, and A Mystery Topic Yet To Be Revealed.

Our own ad hoc indie rock supergroup (featuring members of Wolf Parade, Islands, Black Mountain, and Les Savy Fav) might even explain to you why they decided to perform under the name FINAL FANTASY: ONLINE A.K.A. INTERNET.

The details:
Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street, NY). Tuesday, April 10 at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $21 advance, $26 day of show, and are available through www.symphonyspace.org or 212.864.5400.

All proceeds, of course, go to 826NYC and 826LA.

Short Trips

- Sufjan Stevens defines Friend Rock. (Finally. And from a performer, yet.) Speaking of the genre, I'd be a bad friend if I didn't tell you that on Sunday night, you should be here. (AK)

- Jonathan Lethem's You Don't Love Me Yet is out. There was a party at Bookcourt Tuesday (mid)night. The crowd, community-based, which is sort of cheesy, in a really sweet, supportive way. The Night Time (another fine example of Friend Rock) played an acoustic version of an appropriately cheesy/sweet rock-out song they recorded at Lethem's request. We got mix cds made by a character in the book. (Echoing his Promiscuous Materials Project is Lethem's generous offer -- titled "freelove" on his website -- of the rights to adapt this story too. I'd love to ask him to sit on a panel on art and copyright. With David Byrne? Who else?)

- Rachel Sklar sends a message to snark-for-the-sake-of snark, stands up for girls. Admirable move, Ombudsblogger. (ETP)

-"People can consciously suppress laughs, but few can make themselves laugh convincingly." (NYT)

- The World, Explained. (826NYC)

Island Hopping

Continuing this week's trend of multi-event evenings on the big island, last night I:
- shot Jest Fest '06 (dorky? yes. delightful? yes.)
- shot, sort of, Ten Fucking Years: The Concert (A Daily Show benefit for 826NYC)

The rain was torrential.
I took two cabs.
I have pretty pictures.
You can have them soon.

Superbeauteous

I haven't abandoned cabs.
Or things that are pretty.

I will return.

Tonight, though, you must come to this, a benefit for 826NYC: