Margaret Atwood challenges me to a game of Scrabble
Margaret Atwood at the Scrabble board....
Originally uploaded by Word Freak. Last night at Scrabble With The Stars I got to play Scrabble with Margaret Atwood!
The picture (right) is from her second game, in which she invited me to join her table. I obliged and promptly laid down ALIENED for 60 points on my first play. She challenged (it's good; anagrams with DELAINE). But I didn't let her forfeit her turn.
Then she caught up, with a 65-point DEX play, with a little help from Joel Wapnick. I struggled to catch up after that in our four-person (four-rack) game.
Atwood's words included UNZIP, SLAG, TAJ, DEX, CAB/BHANG, GAY, CRIPE and ER. But it was really Wapnick playing and Atwood watching and learning most of the game. I just eked out a win by being the first to play out. Final score: 189 (Me) - 185 (Margaret) - 155 - 115.
Margaret Atwood and Michael Burgess vied to outbid each other in an auction for a personal Scrabble champion coach at the Scrabble With The Stars fundraiser on Monday night.
They ended up sharing the prize: previous Canadian and World Scrabble Champion Joel Wapnick, who was auctioned off at $700 during the celebrity Scrabble tournament for Performers Arts Lodges (PAL) Toronto.
The tournament drew a Who’s Who of Canadian writers, actors, musicians, comedians and television stars. The event featured 18 tables where everyday Scrabble players got to match wits with Canadian celebrities.
Other stars included authors Austin Clarke and Paul Quarrington, What’s For Dinner? chef/host Ken Kostick, Yuk Yuk’s founder Mark Breslin, and children’s entertainers Sharon, Lois and Bram.
One of the donated prizes consisted of a skippered sail for two around Toronto Islands and a luxury picnic lunch courtesy of Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, which went to the Highest Individual Score (243 by Sal Desiato).
The Highest Celebrity Score went to Dinah Christie for her 290-point game, in which she played a 158-point play, PORTAGES.
Toronto Scrabble Club players volunteering for the night were also offered up as personal coaches to any player for just $10 a play, helping bring the total raised to $12,000 for the event.
PAL Toronto offers assistance and provides services to members and associates of the Canadian entertainment industry in the areas of health, well-being and affordable accommodation.
It also operates Pal Place, a unique apartment complex that many of Canada’s esteemed artists call home. Event proceeds will go to urgently needed mobility aids to enable more aging PAL Place residents to remain independent in their own apartments.
- WordFreak