She's Got Next: A Story of Getting In, Staying Open, and Taking a Shot

by Melissa King

Book Overview

When Melissa King, a transplanted southerner in search of connection, finds herself on the lean, mean streets of Chicago, she turns to her childhood passion for basketball. In her late twenties, King is at a crossroads in her life, and the randomness of the game as it is played on the streets suits her mood. The rules are unwritten, the teams a haphazard collection of players, and unlike anything else around her, the courts feel like home. So wherever...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618264566
• ISBN13: 9780618264568
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

dorothy parker writes a basketball book....

just wanted to say I loved Ms. King's book, " she's got next." it was refreshing to read about basketball written from her perspective. like ms. king, i grew up down south, which is sports-mad; but my alma mater was more of a football school. that is not to say my school's basketball team didn't have its moments; they made the final four a couple of times, plus they had shaq and chris jackson, so they did ok. some of the scenes which ms. king writes about basketball being played on the playgrounds of chicago and l.a. made me misty-eyed, they were so nostalgic. ms. king's self-depricating humor made her story more accessible and fun.plus the scenes which she coaches a youth team were also fun to read about. the urban flava comes through the prose easily. it's as if dorothy parker wrote a basketball book and tricked it out with some hip-hop beats...

Delightfull Story of a Trip We All Had to Take

This is a funny and inciteful book that looks into the life of a young lady as she moves from rural Arkansas to Chicago. Following a course that a lot of us have had to take she was lonely, bored, and generally unhappy. Eventually she remembered how much she had enjoyed playing basketball and turned to playing as a way to pass the time, meet people, develop a life. Basketball was her thing, never with a thought of turning pro or anything like that (she admits to not being very good), but just finding a place to be. That sounds kind of dull, but it's a story of finding oneself, of growing up. And through basketball she is able to discover things about the issues of race, class, gender, religion, sexual politics and love. Hers was a trip that I had to take long before she was born. I can only wish that I'd had the literary skill to record it as well as she does. This is a delightful book.

I was forced to read this

and, boy, I'm glad I was. My grown son brought this to me thinking I would love it because he's played basketball all his life and I've played with him and coached when he was younger. This a great story about the way sports can effect a life. If you've ever known the pleasure of casual play (of any game, not just basketball and not just sports) you'll find this familiar, fun, and inspiring. I'm going to hit the local Y today and shoot around and try test my powers of observation against King's amazing ability and I can't wait to talk to strangers and strange people again as we work towards a common goal (across race, class, gender, and, at times, skill), an experience I've not had in years and now hope to make part of my retirement. Be forewarned there is some explicit language, but nothing shocking or gratuitous--the author is clearly a master of the language and using just the right words at just the right moment. What gifts some of us get! To have her basketball skills and writing abilitiy. . .this writer has been blessed.

Funny, Insightful New Author

I love this book! An industry friend loaned me his advance copy. I took it home and read it in one sitting. I plan on buying several copies to give to friends as beach reads for the summer and a copy for my daughter--this is not a kid's book, but King's life is an example of independence, the importance of taking risks and making hard choices, and balancing working hard with patience and fun. King's voice is utterly appealing as well as fresh and unique. I've never read a book quite like this. Not just a memoir, almost a novel in it's narrative coherence and construction, not a self-help book yet relentlessly thoughtful, laugh out loud funny one moment and heartbreaking the next. You'll root for King, want to be friends with her, rush through to find out what happens to her next. As another reviewer wrote, you don't need to know (or care, really) about basketball to enjoy this book. It's not chick-lit and men will enjoy it as much as women for the humor, the sports, and the lovely and brilliant author/protagonist. If you like southern literature, King's voice will fit right into the tradition for you, but the book takes place not only in the south, but in Chicago and LA as well, so city slickers will recognize their neighborhoods and neighbors and likely get a new perspective on city life. A recent review in a newspaper compared King to Walker Percy and I hear the book will be featured in "Entertainment Weekly" magazine this summer. This book could get big, so enjoy the pleasure of reading it while it's still under the radar. Published in paperback, it's low price and great cover seem to match perfectly the plain spoken yet utterly lovely book inside. Don't miss this one. There's not another book out there like this. A true original.

Three Pointer

After reading this book, I have no doubt King's star is rising. Don't worry, you need know nothing of basketball to appreciate this honest examination of an individual life and the complicated interactions of humans. A joyful and hillarious read, King also examines our shortcomings and most desperate needs. The work of a philosopher, comedian, and athelete, you can't go wrong with this lovely memoir. Fans of David Sedaris and Anne Lamott will be especially pleased.