Dear Ultimate Player Amongst My Collection of Email Addresses.
 
It is highly likely that we know each other, being that you are in my address book. At some point, we may have discussed the history of Ultimate, proper shotgunning techniques and/or the weather.
 
Furthermore, it is likely that I have sent an email to you in the not-so distant past that trumpeted my latest Ultimate endeavor, a book titled Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man.
 
Background
Let me digress a moment here and tell you a small bit about this book. First, unlike hundreds of projects I have designed in my head and never shared with the world, this tidy 160 page book was a collaborative affair. The people that helped create this book are numerous. The list may, in fact, include you.
 
Second, the rumors are true: the book has a real, professional publishing company and distributor. It can be purchased online. It can be plucked from the shelf and read in the aisle of your neighborhood bookstore. It may even be reviewed by the alternative and/or college newspaper in your town because Breakaway Books sent out hundreds of copies to alternative and/or college newspapers across North America.
 
And finally, in case you were not aware, this book is not dowdy. It does not qualify for journalistic integrity. It goes out of its way to mock the sport of Ultimate, the people that play and the silly clothes they wear. Basically, this book is not to be trusted. You should know that. I would not want you to be mislead.
 
Synthesis
Now that you know more about the origins and aspirations of this cheeky book, and it has been established that we are friends, acquaintances, former teammates and/or former interview subjects bonded by the fraterinty of Ultimate, forever linked by email, let me quickly turn politician and ask your support.
 
The Pitch
Your support can be simple and hassle-free. For instance, you could create a button or pin with the cover image of the book on it and you could wear this pin at the next Ultimate tournament you attend. Please do not play Ultimate while wearing this pin.
 
You could write a letter to your local bank, asking for funding of a library to be devoted exclusively to books about Ultimate and/or Ultimate. And then you could manage that library.
 
These ideas are great! But I think the best way you can show support for this book is to give it some love.
 
The Sell
Actually, I am reluctant to make a sales pitch here. The reason being: this entire email is probably quite obviously a sales pitch, and you wouldn’t be so daft as to be swayed into purchasing multiple copies of an item simply because an email showed up in your in-box.
 
Rather I would like to think that any attention this book receives will in turn be attention for our wonderful sport. Promoting this book in ways large and small can attract outsiders and mainstream sports enthusiasts to Ultimate, and attract them in a good way, like how Brandi Chastain turned people on to soccer.
 
Go to the nearest bookstore in your subdivision and/or gentrified urban neighborhood and ask an associate there if they have copies of Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man. If they say no, ask them,  when do you think you will be getting the book in? If they say never, then perhaps you should have been wearing the pin.
 
Approach your friend and/or colleague who works for a local alternative newspaper and tell him or her about how writing a story of this strangely popular sport Ultimate can now be done, because look, there’s even a book about the sport, so it must be popular enough to warrant a good 10,000 word article.
 
Tell your family that you’ve always wanted a book about Ultimate for your birthday/ Easter/ Fourth of July and how that dream of yours can now be turned into reality.
 
 And always remember to order from the website because that's how the author earns a living and affords his travel to faraway places like Kuala Lumpur which other can live vicariously from.
 
• • •

go back to home page order a signed copy

 

 

frisbee! disc! leonardo! ultimate!