Ten 35 Novels and Are Work- Ing on a Streak of 43 Consecutive No
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ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places Books Publisher pulls Roth bio John Grisham pens a basketball thriller By Rob Merrill ooley,’ by John Grisham (Doubleday) ‘S When you’ve written 35 novels and are work- ing on a streak of 43 consecutive No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, you can write about whatever you want. That’s probably the simplest way to explain why John Grisham’s latest is a basketball story and doesn’t feature a single courtroom scene. It’s not the fi rst sports book for Grisham, of course, but it’s the fi rst set in the big-time world of college hoops. Samuel Sooleymon, nicknamed Sooley, is a 17-year-old playing on dirt courts in his native South Sudan when we fi rst meet him. Growing like a weed and with an infectious passion for the game, soon he’s in Orlando playing on a team of traveling Sudanese all-stars, showcasing his skills for col- lege coaches. The joy of a Grisham novel is turning the pages as the plot propels you forward, so I’ll avoid revealing too much. Suf- fi ce it to say “Sooley” follows the familiar Grisham playbook - short chapters, plenty of fore- shadowing, and a rapid-fi re Grisham prose that’s easy to read and hard to put down. Grisham seems to enjoy moonlighting as a sportswriter. There are entire paragraphs that read like AP game recaps: “Central ripped off a 14-0 run and led by 15 at the half... Sooley grabbed 11 rebounds, Pearl Jam members, from left, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard appear at a news conference in Mexico City, on July for his fi rst double-double... Sooley, still coming 17, 2003. Pearl Jam should be on the road celebrating 30 years of ‘Ten’ with a tour. Pearl Jam’s postponed European tour was rescheduled for June and July 2022. off the bench but playing 29 minutes, scored 31 and The delay not only put any plans to celebrate ‘Ten’ on hold, Pearl Jam has still yet to tour in support of last year’s release, ‘Gigaton.’ (AP) blocked four shots.” He relishes putting words in the mouth of Sooley’s fi ctional coach, who tells his team before their fi rst-ever NCAA tournament game: “Men, we don’t deserve respect. Yet. Respect is out there on the fl oor, just waiting for us to go get it.” If they can get the casting right, it’ll make an action- Music packed sports movie. Harder to recreate in a fi lm adaptation will be the secondary plot of the novel, which focuses on the fam- ily Sooley leaves behind in Sudan. When a rebel group Pearl Jam revisits fi rst studio album burns their village, they join millions of fellow refu- gees fl eeing the country, eventually fi nding food and shelter in a Ugandan camp. They’re never far from Sooley’s mind as his basketball career takes fl ight in McCready proud of 30 years of ‘Ten’ America and the juxtaposition of his fame and celeb- rity with his family’s plight back home is the heart of LOS ANGELES, April 28, (AP): The that we got.” saw each other in person for the fi rst the story. Pearl Jam songs that would end up as Pearl Jam fans loved the take — and time in more than a year. And Pearl tracks on the “Ten” album were played the album, and most everything else Jam spent its downtime working on Fiction live at clubs along the West Coast for the band has produced over three dec- its voting campaign, releasing streams When Sooley’s college team, North Carolina Cen- months leading into the band’s fi rst ades. They hoped to celebrate 30 years of classic performances, and plug- tral, qualifi es for March Madness, Grisham has a lit- recording session. The potential was of “Ten” with a tour. ging up-and-coming bands that need tle fun with his fi ction and history, writing, “Never in there for Pearl Jam to serve as more support (McCready named the Black the tournament’s storied history had a No. 16 beaten than an opening act for bigger bands Surprise Tones) more than a veteran, fi nancial- a No. 1.” The novel is set in 2016, two years prior to at the time — like Alice in Chains — McCready played on Pearl Jam’s big- ly-set band like themselves. Grisham’s favorite team, No. 1-ranked Virginia, los- and it needed an album to support the gest hits with a Stratocaster he splurged The 55-year-old McCready credited ing to No. 16-ranked University of Maryland, Balti- songs that defi ned the grunge scene. on as his fi rst vintage guitar purchase. He 18 years of sobriety to keeping him en- more County, in the 2018 tournament. This cover image released by Dou- “Ten” would soon be born. recently teamed with Fender and master ergized about Pearl Jam and whatever It’s not spoiling too much to say that Sooley’s team bleday shows ‘Sooley’ by John Gris- “This my fi rst real recording session builder Vincent Van Trigt to recreate the lies ahead. makes history in Grisham’s world and their dream ham. (AP) with a budget of a record company, 1960 Stratocaster for sale to collectors “I don’t why I’m still here, I’m just season continues. The pages turn even more quickly and the pressures, all that stuff,” gui- down to the last scratch. McCready was happy I am,” he said. “We still need after that, building to a climax that won’t leave readers tarist Mike McCready said. “I didn’t startled to learn during the process that to work on our communication. But doubting whether this is a John Grisham novel. really know about it. I was just stoked his beloved Strat was from 1960 — not we’re aware of all that, so I think we ❑ ❑ ❑ to be doing this. I thought our band 1959. McCready owned the Stratocaster try to do that to the best of our abil- was great.” since 1991 and it was part of his collec- ity. We’ve been through a lot of dif- The publisher of a highly anticipated and widely Pearl Jam started recording sessions tion of vintage 1959 guitars. He loved ferent highs and lows. But we’ve been discussed biography of Philip Roth is pulling the in late March 1991 and the album that the era of guitars so much, that he even through it together.” book and cutting ties with author Blake Bailey, who launched the band’s meteoric rise was has a “59” tattoo on his left wrist. faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment and as- released fi ve months later. For Mc- Not so fast. Also: sault. W.W. Norton and Company previously released Cready, 30 years of “Ten,” has gone “It was a psychological rug being CLEVELAND: Grammy Award nomi- Bailey’s memoir “The Splendid Things We Planned.” by as quick as a lightning bolt. pulled out from under my feet,” Mc- nated rock & soul duo Black Pumas “Norton is permanently putting out of print our “That was the fi rst time I went, all Cready said on a Zoom with The As- and Cleveland’s own Machine Gun editions of ‘Philip Roth: The Biography’ and ‘The of us were all fi ring on all cylinders sociated Press. “I still love the guitar. Kelly will perform at this week’s NFL Splendid Things We Planned,’ Blake Bailey’s 2014 Carlile Vuillard here,” he said. “These are cool songs, It doesn’t matter. But it was a crazy draft. memoir,” the publisher announced Tuesday. “Mr. we have a great singer. I feel confi - surprise.” The league announced its musical Bailey will be free to seek publication elsewhere if dent in playing with these guys that McCready played his Strat on al- acts for the second and third days of he chooses. In addition, Norton will make a dona- we could go out and do really well. I most 800 shows and just about every the draft, which is back on the road af- tion in the amount of the book advance for ‘Philip Variety didn’t know what that meant. We were record — including Temple of the ter being all virtual last year because of Roth: The Biography’ to organizations that fight just starting. I’m seeing old pictures of Dog’s hit “Hunger Strike” — and said the COVID-19 pandemic. against sexual assault or harassment and work to us from when we fi rst started around he accidentally picked up the replica A massive stage has been construct- protect survivors.” NEW YORK: The Grammy Museum will that time. We looked very disjointed three times to play before he realized ed near FirstEnergy Stadium and the The stunning decision follows reports last week reopen next month after being closed for on stage. What are we doing? We it wasn’t the real deal. He’s getting Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to host the from The New York Times, The New Orleans more than a year due to the coronavirus hadn’t coalesced yet. But I knew the Fender to make him a 1959 model. three-day event from April 29 to May Times-Picayune and The Associated Press among pandemic. energy was there.” He might even get to play it live 1. others that Bailey, who in the 1990s taught eighth The museum in downtown Los next year.