Whitehead in action

Colson Whitehead, author most recently of Zone One a post-apocalyptic novel, has announced that he will be playing in the 2011 World Series of Poker and writing about it at Grantland, the new sports and pop culture website created by ESPN’s Bill “The Sports Guy” Simmons. Whitehead is just another big-name author to join Grantland’s “murderer’s row” of talent. As for his poker talent? Well, a little Google research proves that Whitehead once came in 2nd place at a Fence-sponsored poker tournament filled with players from the publishing industry.

To fit in amidst the sponsored poker pros, Whitehead is offering three slots on his shirt for sponsorship at $11.95. Would-be sponsors are chiming with their “promotional messages” at Twitter, with NPR’s Rachel Syme offering the classic “Poker? I BARELY KNOW HER.”