Thanks to everyone who attended last Sunday's reading at Dot2Dot Cafe. We filled the place! Special thanks to Louis for his guitar accompaniment and Nathalie for the great photos. And to Dot2Dot Cafe and On the Dot Books for co-hosting.

I heard Eimear McBride read at Porter Square Books last month. Her award-winning book A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing (Incredible. Singular. I highly recommend.) received early rejections from publishers and sat in a drawer 9 years. At the reading, she was asked what it was like to promote a book she'd written so long ago. McBride said that when she writes, it's like being in love. "I'm not in love with Girl anymore," she said. "I'm in love with [the book I'm currently writing] … but I want to honor who I was when I wrote Girl."

When I published Wonder/Wander in 2009, I envisioned a performative reading of this sort. But I was newly returned to Boston and didn't have the confidence or community. Now, five years later, reading in Dorchester, the neighborhood I call home, among friends from so many parts of my life, and strangers who shared a piece of their Sunday, felt so good. It felt like honoring who I was when I lived and wrote Wonder/Wander.

So again, thank you.

If you missed the reading, please enjoy these photos and video excerpt. You can still order Wonder/Wander online here. Consider giving it as a gift this holiday season, and/or sharing your support for Wonder/Wander on social networks (if you own a copy, post a photo of W/W on your bookshelf. Tag me in the photo and then tag a few friends who you think would enjoy reading it). Finally, if you know other venues for live readings, please put me in touch--I'd love to do this again.

All good wishes,
Aaron

Cae Ricky y perderá el resto de la temporada. / El Kid injured & will miss the rest of the season.

Sí se puede:
http://deadspin.com/5886206/ricky-rubio-pulled-off-an-insane-blind-pass

¿Queda alguna duda sobre El Kid?
Any doubters left?

No creo.
Thought not.

Also, twenty thousand Wolves fans waggling their fingers in front of their chins - a la the Lost Boys - would be pretty bangerang.

Tough loss to New York on Saturday night. The larget newspaper in Spain points out what none of the American recaps I read noted: that Ricky Rubio committed two crucial turnovers in the final minute, which likely cost the Timberlobos the game. The El Pais article (Ricky Comes Up Short Against Linsanity) breaks down the matchup:

"Lin led his duel with Ricky, especially in points. But Ricky managed his team well and committed few mistakes. While the Knicks' point guard tallied 6 turnovers, Ricky didn't lose a single ball. Until exactly the game's decisive moments when Ricky twice lost possession, crippling his team's chance of winning."

Of course the Spanish media is going to scrutinize Ricky most closely. I do, too - as writer of this blog - and especially after Ricky was in a hero's position after his basket gave the Timberlobos a 3-point lead with just over 30 seconds to go. It's interesting to compare their coverage with the American coverage, which seems to have left out Ricky's end-of-game mistakes, focusing instead on Lin's go-ahead free throw.

But I didn't actually see any of the game because it wasn't televised. Repeat: Ricky Rubio vs. Jeremy Lin was not televised. Too bad. Rubio and Lin are the NBA youth zeitgeist right now, two players fans can't get enough of. That game should have been aired to bring in fans and showcase the NBA's most in-demand product. If I were Wolves owner Glen Taylor, I would've paid what it took to air it. (Or Zygi Wilf. Or The Pohlads. Or David Stern...) What a great chance to showcase the revived Minnesota fan base, as well. From what I could hear over the radio broadcast, Linsanity and RubiOMG lit up the Target Center crowd. I got the willies just listening.

*

At this point, Ricky Rubio’s fame is assured. He’s been featured in Sports Illustrated and most recently in ESPN the magazine. Everyone from Dwyane Wade to Jason Kidd has weighed in on his arrival. The Timberlobos even withheld Kevin Love a 5-year contract in what some are saying is a way to leave the option open for the youngster from El Masnou (town where Ricky grew up. The name means “new house” in Catalan).

The kid has only played 28 NBA games (averaging: 10.9 points, 8.7 assists). There's lots of basketball to be played.

Among the many stats, contracts, endorsements, buzzer beaters, no-look passes, and other basketballia yet to be written, however, remains the question of a nickname.

Ric Bucher of the above ESPN article wants to call him Latka Bieber after the Andy-Kaufman inspired foreign man character Latka Gravas (and Bieber for the hair). We’ve already heard the comparisons to Pistol Pete Maravich provoking votes for “El Pistolero.” And then, of course, there’s the fact that folks seem pretty happy just calling him Ricky Rubio - a name that, as we’ve already pointed out, sounds nickname-y enough as it is.

Here are a few nickname ideas of my own...

El Cartero: “The Mail Man” This was Karl Malone’s nickname when he played because Malone 'always delivered.' But The Mail Man always seemed to me better suited to an assist maker. El Cartero would fit, but of course, it doesn’t role off the North American tongue. And Karl Malone is still alive, delivering headlines.

Mowgli: Yes, that Mowgli, of The Jungle Book. Bangs? Check. Boy raised by Wolves? Check. Boy raised by Wolves who eventually comes to lead them? Check! Even the translation, Mowgli means ‘the little frog,’ which seems apt in the way Ricky splits the defense (Frogger 2.0?).

Love Potion Number 9: Not a nickname, but so close to being a great promotions tag line for the Wolves in that it combines Kevin Love & Ricky (jersey #9) in a popular song title. How can we use this?!

RubiOMG: On second thought, please don't let this catch on.

El Mago de Minnesota: The Wizard of Minnesota. It's accurate and alliterative.

But of all contenders, I think my favorite is...

El Kid: Simple. Easy to say. It's a play on both El Cid and Da Kid. El Cid was one of Spain's greatest historical figures and military leaders (played in the movie by Charlton Heston). Da Kid was Kevin Garnett’s self-given nickname (Garnett: the Timberlobos' previous draft sensation). El Kid speaks to Ricky's youth and singularity, as well as being a simple, gringo-friendly nod to his Spanish heritage.

But those are just my ideas. Leave a comment with your own. Meanwhile...

¡Vive El Kid!

¡Y que viven los Timberlobos!

A rollicking 17-5 run to close the 3rd quarter fizzled into an otherwise easy Dallas win preventing the Timberlobos from sweeping the Mavs on the season. And yet: any Minnesotan will happily take a 2-1 record versus Dirk & the defending NBA champs in 2012.

When the Timberlobos reached .500 last week, I was here in Boston where most folks are disappointed with anything less than a championship (this was not the case when I arrived, way back in Sept 2000). Being a Wolves fan this season, I told my brother, is actually as good as it gets. After years as the NBA's doormat, suddenly we are winning games. We have dynamic young players and re-energized fans. We get to watch Kevin Amor ice victories, Ricky Rubio light up defenders, and Nikola Pekovic get beastly with KLove-esque numbers.

Yet we're not so good that we have to worry about all the pressures and let-downs of success. Sure, big games can be fun and Minnesota teams have won a few. And we all derive some pleasure out of sharing our agonizing sports anecdotes of loss. But living them sucks, let's be real.

This isn't The Year for the Timberlobos and, as a fan, that really takes the pressure off. This squad could be a contender in the coming years, if players stay healthy, if management deals smartly, and if the basketball deities smile favorably on yon 'Sota...

But before all that.

This is The Year for pure fan enjoyment. The best possible season to tune in and watch fifteen fierce, hungry Timberlobos play their guts out.

Here are the clips from last night.
Aquí estan los clips de anoche.

Don't miss El Kid's face at 00:54 watching his game-tying three pointer go in.
No pierdan la cara de Ricky a las 00:54 cuando entra su tiro triple para el empate.

And below: Kevin Amor turns out the lights in LA.
Y abajo: Kevin Love apagando las luces en Los Angeles.