About

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but I only started playing no-limit hold ‘em in the summer of 2007.  As you can see from my first two posts (LINK), I view poker through the lens of writing and writing through the lens of poker—both are noble endeavors that saner people avoid and that risk-takers, visionaries, and stubborn souls embrace—that self-destructive, obsessive types embrace as well.  I love the idea of writing about poker—of finding some way to capture and then to share the hold this game has on me.  I love the idea of using writing to learn more about the game—who plays it, what they think about it, why they play, what they aim for.

My poker credentials, so far:  two Main Event qualifiers, in 2008 and 2010; cashes and wins in several small tournaments, live and on-line.

My writing credentials, so far:  a published novel, Leaps of Faith, a comic epic about love, politics, race, and community in New York City.  An as-yet unpublished novel, The Long Waves, about a white psychic who has visions about slavery and has to figure out what they have to do with him.  Dozens of books that I collaborated on or ghostwrote, mainly in the fields of self-help, psychology, and health.  A wide range of articles, some video documentaries, and some award-winning public-radio journalism.

I’m in my 50s.  I live alone, in the heart of New York City.  I play a lot on line, sometimes in Atlantic City.  I seem to be writing all the time, too often for other people, occasionally for myself.

I’ve been a union organizer, a waitress, a secretary, and a real estate analyst.  I’ve founded a small political theater company and directed other people’s plays.  Throughout it all, I’ve never stopped writing—and now, I think, I’ll never stop playing.  I’ve started this blog so I can have even more adventures in poker.  Looking forward to sharing them with you!