One Library Gal’s Obsession with Jeopardy

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It’s hard to say exactly when I became a die-hard fan of Jeopardy. Growing up, I dabbled here and there. Catching an episode with my parents, flexing my general knowledge skills for the family (there’s a reason why my specialty here at VPL is general services). It turns out there are some benefits to a liberal arts degree after all. In all seriousness, I love the approach the show takes to trivia, which mirrors the general trivia ethos, if you will. The questions can be about almost anything, covering wide swathes of subjects, time periods, historical movements, cultures, and geographies. The value is in knowing a bit about many things, versus doing a deep dive into one limited area. Somewhere along the way (and I think COVID had something to do with this), we started recording every single episode. Now, there is a cache of riches just waiting for us in our PVR all the time. The goal is to watch an episode every day, but sometimes things get in the way: illness, vacations, plans, etc. Most days, I like to turn it on just as we’re sitting down to supper. It’s a lovely accompaniment to a nice piece of salmon or a tofu stir fry. During the lockdown, we watched daily. I remember tracing the trajectory of Alex Trebek’s illness. From the moment he disclosed his diagnosis and the fact that he would be undergoing aggressive treatment, to the minuscule changes in his appearance that would appear from one episode to the next. It was heartbreaking, of course, but there he was hosting the show nonetheless. Such an impressive individual in so many ways. My dream is to be on the show as a contestant. That would be everything to me, but who knows? There’s a test you have to take online called the “Anytime test.” One of these days, I’ll get that call from the Jeopardy producers, and they’ll fly me to New York or some place glamorous for the final interview. I will wow them with my dazzling intellect, and the rest will be history. It turns out, we have a fair number of items related to Jeopardy in our catalogue. A couple of autobiographies from key figures, a non-fiction book about Jeopardy history, and of course trivia for you to brush up before the big test. I hope there’s something here that tickles your Jeopardy fancy!

The Answer Is…

How could I not include the autobiography from the man himself, Mr. Alex Trebek. This one was released the year of his death: 2020. A horrible year for many reasons. No doubt looking back on his life after receiving the diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he spends the book going over his childhood (born in Sudbury, Ontario) and the events that led to him getting the hosting gig in 1984. For fans such as myself, the behind-the-scenes details of his life and work would certainly be intriguing. Getting the chance to spend some time with his voice and sense of humour would be a welcome respite from these not-so-sunshiney January days as well.

In the Form of a Question

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Amy Schneider is a titan in the world of Jeopardy Champions. She is the most successful woman in the history of the game show, and she’s also broken down barriers by being openly queer and trans. The format of this memoir seems a bit unconventional: 21 chapters totaling 251 pages, each one like a separate essay. The topics range from childhood stories all the way to discussions of gender and sexuality, but the thread that joins them is they have all sparked Schneider’s insatiable curiosity over the course of her life. My question for her would be, how can I learn to be as brave as you are?


Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader

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In researching this post, I discovered the J! Archive website. I can’t believe I didn’t know about it before. It has every single question from every single episode of the show going back to Season 1. Arranged in a helpful gameboard, each question and dollar amount are displayed just as they look on the show. You can click each square to “stick” the question, marking it as answered. This format makes it easy to add up what your score would be going into the next round. I’m definitely going to be using this for my training (picture a montage à la Rocky with me running up the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and holding up a laptop with J! Archive on screen). The website combines my nerdy love of archives with my love of Jeopardy. Excellent. Anyhoo, if websites aren’t your bag, there’s always the classic series of beefy tomes designed to be read while doing a number two, Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers. We have three in our catalogue geared to adult readers. Each one has off-the-beaten path facts and stories about the world. The Uncanny one has information on the “Pillownaut” Experiment by NASA, “manly” figures in history, and obscure game shows of all things. I remember having one of these and getting a kick out of the zany topics.

Answers in the Form of Questions

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Now, this one really piques my curiosity. I think I’ll have to put it on hold and add it to my pile of books on my bedside table that I pick up and stare at from time to time. A comprehensive account of the 36 years the series has been entertaining audiences, the book sounds like there’s a lot of lore from within the inner workings of the Jeopardy team. One of the most compelling parts is an explainer on how the biggest champions use strategy to chalk up their wins. Ken Jennings himself — still the record holder for most consecutive games won and highest prize amount from regular season competition — contributed the foreword for the book. He’s also now the host, taking up the mantle after a period of different temporary hosts. I’m glad we’ve found one for the meantime. I like seeing the same person day after day. He’s no Alex, but he’ll do.

That wraps it up for me this time around. Maybe we’ll see each other on the hallowed Alex Trebek Stage at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Stay warm out there and keep finding things to spark your interest, creativity, and learning. We’ll get through January, don’t you worry.

About Claire

Claire is an Information Assistant at Vaughan Public Libraries. Avid cooker, concertgoer, coffee drinker, TV and movie watcher, washi tape enthusiast, and unabashed fan of romance in all its varieties (even Hallmark movies).  |  Meet the team