Publisher Description

In the 1990's, Dallas was a basketball wasteland. Along came Dirk Nowitzki, a towering Wurzburg, Germany native with a cool efficiency and the ability to make shots from seemingly impossible angles. In the years thereafter, Nowitzki would spend his entire 21-season NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, the longest tenure of any one player with one team in the league's history, and lead them to their first and only NBA championship, while being named a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA Team member, and the first European player to receive the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. Zac Crain, award-winning journalist for D Magazine who moved to Dallas the same year that Nowitzki began his career in the city, memorializes Nowitzki's career through a lyric essay reminiscent of Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain that mixes the author's story with the basketball legend's, charting the highs and lows (and mostly highs) of the Mavs' all-time statistical leader's career. By paying homage to Dallas' star basketball player, author Zac Crain connects the Mavs' success with the growth of the city itself, and what the sport means to Dallas' now basketball-obsessed citizens.

Author Biography

Zac Crain is senior editor of D Magazine. He has written about the explosion in West, Texas; legendary country singer Charley Pride; Tony Dorsett's struggle with life after football; and imaginary meetings with a mosquito and a Pegasus. Crain is the author of A Pedestrian's Recent History of Dallas, published by Deep Vellum in 2020, as well as 2009's Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He lives in Dallas.

Review

"The book is a "memoir about Dirk Nowitzki" written as an open letter. Through Dirk, Crain traces his own life in Dallas…[he] writes with humor about the serious parts of his life." —Roberto José Andrade Franco, Texas Highways"It's [I See You Big German] an ode to basketball, fatherhood, and the city of Dallas." —Ben Zajdel, Mavs Moneyball"I am biased, but you should buy Zac's book. It's thoughtful and funny, and it will bring back all your memories from that season of magic." —Tim Rogers, D Magazine

Promotional

Launch event planned in Dallas, Texas in conjunction with Nowitzky's jersey number retirementPitching promotional work with the Dallas Mavericks team and Dallas Morning NewsDeep Vellum will participate in/be present for extensive celebrations planned across city of Dallas, including street name dedication, statue unveiling, etc.Review copies will be sent targeting all major print and digital literary & sports media outlets; additional review copies available upon requestPromotion on the publisher's website (deepvellum.org), twitter feed (@deepvellum), and Facebook page (/deepvellum); promotion in the publisher's e-newsletter

Long Description

In the 1990's, Dallas was a basketball wasteland. Along came Dirk Nowitzki, a towering Wurzburg, Germany native with a cool efficiency and the ability to make shots from seemingly impossible angles. In the years thereafter, Nowitzki would spend his entire 21-season NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, the longest tenure of any one player with one team in the league's history, and lead them to their first and only NBA championship, while being named a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA Team member, and the first European player to receive the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award.Zac Crain, award-winning journalist for D Magazine who moved to Dallas the same year that Nowitzki began his career in the city, memorializes Nowitzki's career through a lyric essay reminiscent of Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain that mixes the author's story with the basketball legend's, charting the highs and lows (and mostly highs) of the Mavs' all-time statistical leader's career. By paying homage to Dallas' star basketball player, author Zac Crain connects the Mavs' success with the growth of the city itself, and what the sport means to Dallas' now basketball-obsessed citizens.

Review Quote

"The book is a "memoir about Dirk Nowitzki" written as an open letter. Through Dirk, Crain traces his own life in Dallas...[he] writes with humor about the serious parts of his life." --Roberto Jos

Description for Sales People

This book release is timed to coincide with retiring Nowitzky's jersey, so we expect a lot of interest from basketball fans in Dallas and beyond. The book is based on author Crain's years-long essay series for the Dallas Morning News : "I See You, Big German," which has a built-in fanbase. Will appeal to readers of similarly smart, passionate, subject-driven cultural histories like Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain.

Details