Introductions

I had the esteemed privilege of meeting Barbara Seagram the very day the Beginning Bridge came in from the printers (mmm…that fresh book smell). And I am also very lucky to work alongside her co-author Linda Lee each and every day. This is good news for me because my knowledge of the game is pretty much limited to: “It involves 52 cards?” (And yes, that question mark is intended and not a typo.)

What are these lovely ladies like?

See the the lady in blue enthusiastically saying something to the woman in the black sweater on the title page? That’s Barbara. I think that picture says a lot. She is excited about Bridge and she has the mannerisms of the quintessential teacher. By the end of our brief meeting I had several diagrams explaining how to count, how the table is set up and so on. And every time she explained a concept, she would check to see if I was keeping up: “North, East, South, West, OK?”; “Ace, King, Queen, Jack and sometimes ten, you follow?”

Linda’s picture on the back cover unfortunately doesn’t give away too much about her. Linda eats, sleeps and breathes bridge — seriously. She IS a WBF World Master after all. She writes a blog almost daily about the match she had the night before, or some system she is developing with her son. I don’t usually follow what is happening, but it is interesting to see her passion for the game, documented for the world to see. I have come to expect a daily bridge story from Linda, usually about a match where something went awry (either one she played or one she watched). It always starts out low-key, but by story’s end, Linda is a bundle of energy, ready to explode by the excitement of it all. It is insanely infectious, even though most of the stuff is still over my head. Linda is also generous with the diagrams, which makes me wonder whether all bridge players are highly visual people.

I have become familiar with some of the bridge jargon from just working in the office. But for most part the definitions still elude me. Not that I’m an unwilling student — it’s more a matter of time, rather than lack of interest. And I should point out that I’m not deterred by the all-too-frequent “isn’t bridge for old ladies?” accusations. I’m a knitter, with an affinity for cardigans, and celebrity crushes on Fred Astaire, Jack Lemmon and, well, I think you get the picture. If bridge turns out to be “an old ladies game,” I think it’s safe to say I will be in good company. Plus, I would hardly consider Barbara or Linda “old” ladies, and the other bridge players I have met so far are men. That means in my limited experience 100% of the bridge players I know are do not fit the stereotype.

Ok, I have stalled enough…let the bridge begin!