It's Lit

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It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

This is an announcement for It's Lit, a literature side tournament to be played at CO 2017, to be written by myself and Jason Cheng from UCSD. It will be easier than RILKE (the average tossup will probably be at or a little easier than ACF Nationals in difficulty). It will be $10 per player and there will be nine packets.

Here is the distribution:

6 long fiction
5 poetry
3 drama
3 short fiction (short stories and works that are often labeled both short stories and novellas)
1 nonfiction (literary essays and literary criticism)
2 miscellaneous (any of the above, or something else entirely)

Because of my extensive past experience in writing literature for tournaments and struggling to get enough fresh and good questions for world literature, the main categories are genres of literature, not areas of the world. Since I am interested in good literature of all kinds, there certainly will be non-western representation, but it won't be apportioned out on a per-packet basis.

After some consideration, I have decided against using the advancing room system at RILKE and Gorilla Lit, in favor of the traditional doubles. However, I am introducing a novel policy: in the interest of keeping this tournament competitive, I reserve the right to disallow teams that I consider unfairly strong. You must email me ([email protected]) to sign up for this tournament, and I will let you know if your team is permissible.

Field:

Jordan Brownstein + Mike Etzkorn
Will Nediger + Chris Borglum
Ike Jose + Dylan Minarik
Rob Carson + Joey Goldman
Jacob Reed + Chris Ray
Tejas Raje + Andrew Wang
Will Alston + Jakob Myers
Matthew Lehmann + Ankush Bajaj
Aidan Mehigan + Marianna Zhang
Andrew Hart + Tamara Vardomskaya
Sam Bailey + Jerry Vinokurov
Kai Smith + Matt Bollinger
Jason Golfinos + Raynor Kuang
Clark Smith + Athena Kern
Derek So + Alan Lin
Charles Hang + Patrick Butenhoff
Jonathan Magin + Alston Boyd
Trevor Davis + Kurtis Droge
Jason Asher + Foster Hughes
Aayush Rajasekaran
Last edited by Auroni on Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:46 am, edited 31 times in total.
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Re: CO 2017? Literature Side Tournament

Post by Maxwell Sniffingwell »

Couldn't be more interested.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

The initial post has been updated with a fuller announcement.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by ThisIsMyUsername »

Auroni wrote:After some consideration, I have decided against using the advancing room system at RILKE and Guerrila Lit, in favor of the traditional doubles/triples/quads format. However, I am introducing a novel policy: in the interest of keeping this tournament competitive, I reserve the right to disallow teams that I consider unfairly strong. You must email me ([email protected]) to sign up for this tournament, and I will let you know if your team is permissible.
I sincerely hope that when you say doubles/triples/quads, you mean that you're going to choose one of doubles, triples, or quads as the format, and publicly declare this choice before people start forming teams and you start accepting registrations. This recent spate of people registering teams of varying sizes before a format is decided (which is then followed by a rash of rescrambling once the format is announced, and inevitably some teams being allowed in the field that are still the wrong size) is just awful.

Having a "[you] reserve the right to disallow teams that [you] consider unfairly strong" policy seems like a non-ideal way of achieving a potentially positive goal. It just means that the tournament will be won by whomever manages to correctly guess what your unstated upper limit is and create a team that is as close to that line as possible. If you want to restrict the strength of teams to avoid one team stomping all over everybody else (an idea that seems perfectly reasonable, although that hasn't been a problem at any lit tournament that I've seen), I would much rather that you state some hard-and-fast eligibility criterion that is known to everyone (e.g. players who placed in the top X places at Gorilla and/or RILKE cannot play with each other).
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

ThisIsMyUsername wrote:
Auroni wrote:After some consideration, I have decided against using the advancing room system at RILKE and Guerrila Lit, in favor of the traditional doubles/triples/quads format. However, I am introducing a novel policy: in the interest of keeping this tournament competitive, I reserve the right to disallow teams that I consider unfairly strong. You must email me ([email protected]) to sign up for this tournament, and I will let you know if your team is permissible.
I sincerely hope that when you say doubles/triples/quads, you mean that you're going to choose one of doubles, triples, or quads as the format, and publicly declare this choice before people start forming teams and you start accepting registrations. This recent spate of people registering teams of varying sizes before a format is decided (which is then followed by a rash of rescrambling once the format is announced, and inevitably some teams being allowed in the field that are still the wrong size) is just awful.

Having a "[you] reserve the right to disallow teams that [you] consider unfairly strong" policy seems like a non-ideal way of achieving a potentially positive goal. It just means that the tournament will be won by whomever manages to correctly guess what your unstated upper limit is and create a team that is as close to that line as possible. If you want to restrict the strength of teams to avoid one team stomping all over everybody else (an idea that seems perfectly reasonable, although that hasn't been a problem at any lit tournament that I've seen), I would much rather that you state some hard-and-fast eligibility criterion that is known to everyone (e.g. players who placed in the top X places at Gorilla and/or RILKE cannot play with each other).
I will adopt one of your suggestions (the format will be doubles and the opening post edited accordingly) but not the other. I think everyone shares an implicit understanding of what a "broken" team is like, without necessarily being able to craft a set of criteria encompassing all such teams. I also don't want to publicly put the spotlight on specific people that I have in mind, either by naming them or by allowing people to easily look up who they are.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

Since it's apparently too much to ask people to trust my deep understanding of and connection with the playing field, here is my heuristic for team permissibility:

I mentally sort good literature players into four tiers of increasing size. A handful of people make up Tier 1 and Tier 2. I won't allow any people in the second tier to team up with each other or with anyone in the first tier, and I won't allow people in the first tier to team up with anyone in the first three tiers.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by women, fire and dangerous things »

I'm seeking a teammate for this. Message me if you'd like to team up, especially if you like poems.

UPDATE: I am playing with noted poem-liker Chris Borglum.
Last edited by women, fire and dangerous things on Tue Oct 25, 2016 4:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Ike »

Auroni wrote:Since it's apparently too much to ask people to trust my deep understanding of and connection with the playing field, here is my heuristic for team permissibility:

I mentally sort good literature players into four tiers of increasing size. A handful of people make up Tier 1 and Tier 2. I won't allow any people in the second tier to team up with each other or with anyone in the first tier, and I won't allow people in the first tier to team up with anyone in the first three tiers.
That makes a lot of sense, I was trying to figure out why I couldn't team up with John Lawrence since I clearly thought he was fourth-tier. Hate to say it but it makes a lot more sense to play poodle-dee poodle-doo here. That is, why not let everyone sign up, and then draft over the IRC?
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Re: It's Lit

Post by grapesmoker »

I'll play. Contact me if you want to play with me.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auks Ran Ova »

Wouldn't miss this. I've got spotty depth but solid breadth, so contact me especially if it sounds like that complements you.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Cheynem »

I have finished in the last room at both tournaments.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Tejas »

I'll play this. I'm even worse than Mike Cheyne at Lit.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Good Goblin Housekeeping »

I have managed to play in some mix of the last place and 2nd to last place rooms at the last 2 CO lits. I have also only gotten worse at lit
hmu

EDIT: Tejas Raje and I intend on being the worst team at this event. Can anyone form a worse team than us?!
Last edited by Good Goblin Housekeeping on Sun Oct 30, 2016 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Harpie's Feather Duster »

I'm playing this with Ike, at least until I neg too much and he sends me to the gulag. Hooray!
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Re: It's Lit

Post by kdroge »

I'm interested in playing this and looking for a teammate.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Camille Palkia »

My tier is pretty low but I can net you some clutch buzzes, consider me when your first choice partner gets rejected.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by naan/steak-holding toll »

I'll play this, too. I'm even worse than Tejas at lit!
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Re: It's Lit

Post by A Dim-Witted Saboteur »

I'll play this if it doesn't conflict with Naveed Bork. Seeking a teammate who's good with my limited lit-canon knowledge and occasional negging.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by heterodyne »

I'll play this. I really don't know anything about lit, but I probably won't neg so at worst you have an entertaining buzzer rock.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by naan/steak-holding toll »

In an effort to form an even worse team than Tejas and Wang, Jakob Myers and I have teamed up.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by vinteuil »

Chris Ray and I are playing this.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by UlyssesInvictus »

I'm looking for a teammate for this. I'll probably neg a lot the first two rounds and then stop negging after you yell at me.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Majin Buu Roi »

If anybody's looking for a teammate that will nail one or two absurdly specific things and then get absolutely nothing else, shoot me a message! Otherwise I'd be happy to staff this.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by UlyssesInvictus »

I haven't been to any CO side events before, so what's the field cap situation likely going to look like? (Asking so I can figure out how much I can procrastinate on finding a teammate.)
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

UlyssesInvictus wrote:I haven't been to any CO side events before, so what's the field cap situation likely going to look like? (Asking so I can figure out how much I can procrastinate on finding a teammate.)
We have 9 teams registered now. I'll place a temporary cap of 16 and then see what I can do from there once the staff situation is clearer.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by 15.366 »

I'm interested in playing. Nobody can predict what I may know, myself included, but I've read quite a wide variety of stuff and may not be half of the worst team at this tournament. I try not to neg and that's my problem. (Auroni does claim I delivered the sickest lit buzz he has ever seen, so there's that.)
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Re: It's Lit

Post by ryanrosenberg »

I'll staff this.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by magin »

I'd like to play. If you know world literature and/or modernist poetry, I'm interested in teaming up with you.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by halle »

if there's anyone looking for a partner and doesn't care about winning and/or is confident they can pretty much carry a team, hmu. i've read relatively widely but not particularly closely to the canon, so i'll probably take awhile to pick up on some easy stuff but might get some dank early buzzes when one of the obscure-ish things i've read comes up?
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Re: It's Lit

Post by UlyssesInvictus »

Jason Golfinos and I are now teaming up for this.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

As we near our field cap (14/16), I'd like to get a handle on staffers. Please contact me if you'd like to read at this tournament.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Charbroil »

Patrick Butenhoff and I are playing this.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Fado Alexandrino »

I can read for this and all other Sunday stuff too
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

The field is now full, but interested teams should continue to sign up to be added to the waiitlist, because I almost have enough staff to be able to expand.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by west neg, new york »

I'll staff.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

EDIT: I have expanded the field and removed teams from the waitlist.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Cheynem »

I don't know if I'm on a FA list for this, but I've received various offers from potential teammates (all of which note they "don't mind finishing near last"--what does that mean???), so I should probably clarify that I can't make this tournament anymore.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by merv1618 »

15.366 wrote:(Auroni does claim I delivered the sickest lit buzz he has ever seen, so there's that.)
Do tell
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

Please note the following changes to this tournament:

- The set will now consist of 9 packets instead of 10
- There will be 3 drama questions per packet instead of 4
- There will be 2 miscellaneous questions per packet instead of 1

I am also now instituting a hard cap of 20 teams for this tournament (we are at 19).
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

I could very much use another team for this to generate an even field size.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Mike Bentley »

Any chance of a Skype mirror of this?
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Re: It's Lit

Post by kitakule »

As someone who won't be going to CO, I'd also love a Skype mirror
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

Yes. I'll announce it soon after CO weekend.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

Due to drops I am short one staffer. Please email me if you're available; I will compensate you.

Edit: this is now taken care of
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

Congratulations to Jordan and Mike for clearing the field! The statistics will be up shortly. Since there was no need for a final, I will be reading the last packet at 8 PM PDT tonight in #quizbowl.

Thanks to Eliza Grames for reading/compiling records, Matt Weiner, Ryan Rosenberg, Ryan Humphreys, Joe Su, Ophir Lifshitz, Robert Chu, Saul Hankin, and Young Lee for moderating.
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Re: It's Lit

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Re: It's Lit

Post by heterodyne »

Should note that according to my own records, I was given 7 too many tossups and 3 too many negs in the game against Matt+Kai, and Jonathan was similarly not given those buzzes.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by Auroni »

There's now a private discussion forum for It's Lit that you can request to join via User Control Panel > Usergroups.
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Re: It's Lit

Post by ValenciaQBowl »

Auroni, would it be possible for us to mirror this after the Valencia NASAT mirror on August 19? (I e-mailed, too, but just in case you see this first...).
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