June 28, 2005 For more information: Frank R. Scatoni 619-807-1887 frank@ventureliterary.com "No Kill Date" Venture Literary Sells Literary Poker Narrative to Atria/Simon & Schuster On June 28, 2005, Greg Dinkin of Venture Literary sold the World (English) rights to author Peter Alson’s Take Me to the River to Wendy Walker at Atria, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, for publication in summer 2006. Alson’s book is a fascinating look into the World Series of Poker from an established insider’s perspective. He chronicles the evolving landscape of the poker world, including how its explosion in popularity has transformed this hobby, sport, and obsession for a widening contingent of millions. He deals with how technology (such as the Internet) and the massive influx of young blood into the sport have made old assumptions obsolete and necessitated newer, fresher approaches. Alson describes how the decades of poker experience accumulated over countless hands by poker’s old pros can now be gained in a matter of months with online games, and how traditional ideas of poker theory are being replaced by math geniuses with computer algorithms capable of analyzing every situation and match-up. Alson also explores how these changes have expanded the scope and the stakes of poker, yet have also brought a commercialism that has proved bittersweet. All this and more are interwoven with experiences and reflections from Alson’s own changing life, in which the evolutions of his cherished poker are matched with changes in the form of new attitudes and a new fiancée. His narrative treats poker as a metaphor for life—specifically, his life, as it unfurls day by day, card by card. Peter Alson, educated at U.C. Berkeley and Harvard, is the author of a memoir, Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie, the co-author of One of a Kind, a biography of poker great Stuey Ungar, and the upcoming memoir Atlas, which he co-authored with boxing trainer Teddy Atlas. His writing and journalism have appeared in numerous national magazines, including Esquire, Playboy, the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, New York, The Village Voice, and Life. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. To learn more about Venture Literary, visit: www.ventureliterary.com. To learn more about Atria, visit: www.simonsays.com.