[Source: “Scrabble continues to bring people together in Iowa City,” The Gazette, 17 July 2011]

Several dozen Scrabble fans braved rising temperatures to meet up for an afternoon of friendly competition and socializing on Sunday at the Bread Garden Market in Iowa City.

Members of the Iowa City Scrabble Club — beginners and experts alike, ranging from grade-schoolers to seniors — meet once a month to challenge each other to word duels. Sunday’s gathering was held in conjunction with “A Day in the City of Literature,” part of the weekend’s Iowa City Book Festival.

“Today’s meeting is special because we were asked to play as a part of the City of Literature event going on,” said club founder Gary Sanders, 64, a 45-year Scrabble aficionado. “It’s really exciting.”

Established in March 2010, the club has more than 100 members, and 20 to 50 people generally play at any given meeting. Players are paired or grouped according to skill level and rotate after finishing each game. [More…]