Read & Volley!

read_and_volley

“You will love Love Love. Like Kevin on the tennis court, Sung J. Woo marries brute force with clever misdirection; brilliant flourishes with measured restraint; craft with strategy. The result is a gem of a novel, by turns poignant, heartbreaking and wickedly funny. The only dangling thread: when’s the film adaptation coming out?”

Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated executive editor and author of Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played

“Sung J. Woo has written a surprising, moving novel that powerfully explores notions of family, creativity, skill, and — yes — love.”

Louisa Thomas, staff writer at Grantland and author of Conscience: Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family–a Test of Will and Faith in World War I

If you’ve seen the cover of Love Love, it’s obvious tennis plays a significant part in the book.  So it probably comes as no surprise that hitting a fuzzy yellow ball is a big part of my life.  I’m happiest when I’m out on the court, and almost as happy when I’m watching the game.  I’ve been to three of the four Grand Slams.  I’ve watched Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at a tournament in Doha (that’s in Qatar, the Middle East!).  At my local club, I’ve exchanged rallies with one of the Bryan Brothers (though I can’t remember which one).  I’ve played in official USTA leagues.  I follow both the ATP and the WTA, even beyond the Grand Slams.  Like I could actually carry a semi-intelligent conversation discussing such players as Ernests Gulbis and Camila Giorgi.

Anyway, with the publication of my second novel, what I would love more than anything is to bring two of my passions together: literature and tennis.  So what I’d like to do is hold readings of my novel at tennis clubs around the Tri-State area, and also at cities I’ll be visiting during my book tour.  I don’t know how receptive the clubs will be, but I’ll do my best to entice them.  Because this won’t be just reading.  I want everyone to play, myself especially.  So I’m suggesting events along the lines of…

  1. I’ll read from my book for 15 minutes.
  2. Q & A/sign books for 15 minutes.
  3. Play tennis!  For an hour, hopefully.  Maybe two?  Three?  (Hell, I’ll play until the club closes.)

Doesn’t it sound like a fun time?  It sure does to me.  I call it Read & Volley!  I hope other tennis-loving authors will follow in my squeaky footsteps and meld these two great activities together for their own events.

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