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The Story Inside The Story
Mumentous is a fascinating book about the history and the culture surrounding homecoming mums. Where did the idea for this book come from?
Thank you!
Before I decided to write a book, I was first drawn to homecoming mums as a subject matter to photograph. They are, after all, visually stunning! But I really just wanted to understand why without judgement, and I think the only way to do that is to be quiet and pay attention. The camera lens helps me be present in this way. I can hone in on details I might never have otherwise noticed, zoom out and take in relevant context, and begin to discern what is tertiary or immaterial. Another way of saying this is that when I decide to take a photograph, I’m making a promise to look for the story inside the story.
As I mention in the book, it all began when I asked a good friend if I could join her at a mum-making session hosted by a local high school marching band booster club. The club was selling mums as a fundraiser for the band in which her daughter was a member. I helped cut ribbons, but mostly I took photos and listened to the group, all women, whose camaraderie and work ethic were equally palpable. It was like I had discovered a secret quilting bee, which completely surprised and enchanted me. I realized then that I not only needed my camera to fully unpack the tradition but it would take lots of conversations and research, too.
In terms of taking a creative direction, I made one decision early on that made all the difference. If you search the internet for images of people wearing homecoming mums, you will only see one kind of photo: kids in mums standing still and smiling for the camera. A homecoming mum is many things, but it is not still. From the beginning, I avoided depicting a mum as a “still life”, trying instead to capture it as the fully animated expression that it is. That decision drove me to be thorough, which led me to so many wonderful and unexpected discoveries.
How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?
I’ve been shooting photos, collecting personal stories, and conducting research on the tradition since 2016, but only during fall football season.
Should you want more detail:
Those photo sessions with the booster club took place in Fall 2016. In Fall 2017 and 2018, I shot photos at several different locations. I conducted considerable online research on the historical evolution of mums in Fall 2018 and 2019 while also interviewing people across the state, which validated the online research and vice versa.
In the second half of 2019, I served as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Arlington Museum of Art in Arlington, TX, a position which allowed me to broaden my reach considerably and create an exhibition of my work to date. There’s a chapter in my book which goes into detail about the exhibit and how I turned it into an opportunity for the community to participate. It was during that time I decided Mumentous needed to become a book.
In Fall 2020 and 2021, I watched the tradition refuse to yield to Covid, then I wrote about it and shot a few more photos. By early 2022, my research wasn’t yielding any new revelations, which told me it was time to write “The End” and seek a publisher. The book is being released by Atmosphere Press on April 25, 2023, just as “mumtrepreneurs” across and beyond Texas are ramping up for the 2023 football season.
I joke with friends that if universities gave out degrees in “mumology,” I’d be ready to defend my dissertation.
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
Yes. In the first half of the 20th century, throughout the United States, it was common practice for a boy to give his date a chrysanthemum corsage before the annual high school or college homecoming football game. I find it fascinating that this tradition has all but vanished, except in Texas (and a few adjacent states) where it not only held fast but evolved into a version of itself that would be unrecognizable to its originators.
What is one thing that you hope reader take away from Mumentous?
As readers dig deeply inside the very unique tradition of homecoming mums, I hope they will discover that like so many traditions, its driving force is utterly universal: women.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Website
They’re called homecoming mums. They are as bodacious as football, as irresistible as a juicy rumor, and as deep as a momma’s love. Over a hundred years ago when the custom began, mum was short for chrysanthemum, a typical corsage that boys gave to girls before taking them to the big football game. But through the decades, mum went from a simple abbreviation to a complicated shorthand for an eye-popping tradition that’s as ingrained in the culture as it is confounding to outsiders.
Through her original photography and collection of stories from across and beyond the Lone Star State, Amy J. Schultz takes us deep in the heart of mum country. You’ll meet kids who wear them, parents who buy them, and critics who decry them as just another example of consumerism gone wild. But mostly, you’ll discover that just like every ritual which stands the test of time, someone is keeping the tradition alive. Someone like Mom.
SOL
The beauty about Gary Evans and his book SOL: Still Our Lions – The Rise, Fall and Renaissance of Detroit and its Pro Football Team is that you do not need to be a football fan, or even a sports fan, to enjoy his introspective book. The author writes in a way that is moving, and every sentence he pens is more attention-grabbing than the former. His way of expressing his thoughts on the subject matter is well thought out and stated directly. Gary Evans writes from the heart, and that is what makes his writing so appealing. He is authentic and candid in all he writes about. In between the sports discussions, readers get life lessons that the author shares while telling his story and the stories of others.
This informative book is about the Detroit Lions team in the NFL. The author writes about the football team’s history, major events, wins, losses, relationships with fans, the community, and everything in between. Gary Evans chronicles forgotten events, little-known heroes, and the role sports play in communities. The author explains how he believes sports loyalty works, writing that the Detroit Lions were loved through both their accomplishments and failures. The rise of the team, the challenges, and the goals achieved are what make the Detroit Lions special. Reading from a fan’s point of view is the magic in the entire book.
This book may focus on sports, but as you read on, you see that other themes arise. The other themes are politics, family, freedom and independence, race relations, policy making, and love. I appreciate that the author compiled notes about unheard-of history icons as he shared inspirational tales in his narrating. Reading this book gives one a feeling of nostalgia, even if not from the area being written about. The author has created an entertaining book that will give readers an appreciation of history and get them to see sports competitions in a different light.
Apart from learning about football as a sport and the Detroit Lions, the author also enlightened the reader on how to preserve culture and how to build a community with people that share the same interests. At the start of every chapter is a quote from historical icons. Two of my favorite quotes are “Time Slips away, leaves you with nothing, mister. Just stories of glory days,” by Bruce Springsteen, and “There is a fine line between honoring the past and losing yourself in it” by Eckhart Tolle. The lessons about life doubled with the impeccable storytelling skills make this book an interesting read. The reader gets to reflect on the past and appreciate the present.
SOL: Still Our Lions is more than a sports history book; it is a well-crafted and deeply thoughtful look at how sports impact and influence the communities they are part of. More than just a game, football is an avenue to bring people together that would otherwise not cross paths.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0BBKYW3XG
The Golden Gladiator – Book Trailer
The Golden Gladiator. . . .
Myth? Urban legend? Hero? Antihero?
Myth or urban legend? Not at all. This is the true story of senior citizen Michael Lynch and his inspirational journey back to the gridiron and glory. In his mid-sixties, he played on one of the best semi-pro football teams in America, and was coached by a former NFL veteran.
After seeing his nephew play in a high school All-Star game on Long Island during the summer of 2012, Michael Lynch had an epiphany. He wanted to play football again. In the late 60s and early 70s, he had been a football star in high school, college, and in the semi-pro leagues on Long Island. Forty years later, he decided to turn back the clock and risk life and limb to play football again in one of the toughest semi-pro leagues in America: the Florida Football Alliance.
This is a story of courage, redemption, tragedy, and love as Lynch played for four years in over fifty football games. He was a game captain, an Honorable Mention on the 2014 Florida Football Alliances All-Star team, and was honored at the leagues’ banquet in his final year in 2018 for his inspiration and dedication to the game he loves. He played on two championship teams, in 2015 and 2018.
Michael Lynch was inducted into the Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest American football player ever, and the oldest American football player to catch a touchdown pass—which he did at the age of sixty-eight.
Hero or antihero? You decide, but first read Michael Lynch’s epic tale, his Iliad and Odyssey of football journeys—the true story of . . . the Golden Gladiator.
Never Give Up
The Golden Gladiator is a memoir about one football player’s life, and how he refused to give up on his dream just because of his age. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to write it to show everyone that it is important to dream and to follow that dream. Of course, sometimes following that dream takes hard work and sacrifice and only the individual pursuing it can determine if all of the work is worth it. It also let me get back in the time machine to go back and fondly recall the place I always love the most, home.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me was just trying to STOP writing. When I sat down and started writing it was very easy and I put the story down in linear form. My editors change it around and when I told them it was complete, I kept adding more and more story and details. They told me in the end that I had added almost thirty pages to the first manuscript by the time it was ended.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
My father told me to when you do a job do it as perfectly as you can. You may never be perfect, but strive for it. My mother told us as children that the battles of our adult lives would be won on the playing fields of our youth.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
That is easy, to never give up and always remember as you face adversity to remember that each and everyday you wake up that day is the beginning of the rest of your life. You cannot change the past, but you can control the present and the future.
Author Link: Website
Myth? Urban legend? Hero? Antihero?
Myth or urban legend? Not at all. This is the true story of senior citizen Michael Lynch and his inspirational journey back to the gridiron and glory. In his mid-sixties, he played on one of the best semi-pro football teams in America, and was coached by a former NFL veteran.
After seeing his nephew play in a high school All-Star game on Long Island during the summer of 2012, Michael Lynch had an epiphany. He wanted to play football again. In the late 60s and early 70s, he had been a football star in high school, college, and in the semi-pro leagues on Long Island. Forty years later, he decided to turn back the clock and risk life and limb to play football again in one of the toughest semi-pro leagues in America: the Florida Football Alliance.
This is a story of courage, redemption, tragedy, and love as Lynch played for four years in over fifty football games. He was a game captain, an Honorable Mention on the 2014 Florida Football Alliances All-Star team, and was honored at the leagues’ banquet in his final year in 2018 for his inspiration and dedication to the game he loves. He played on two championship teams, in 2015 and 2018.
Michael Lynch was inducted into the Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest American football player ever, and the oldest American football player to catch a touchdown pass—which he did at the age of sixty-eight.
Hero or antihero? You decide, but first read Michael Lynch’s epic tale, his Iliad and Odyssey of football journeys—the true story of . . . the Golden Gladiator.
The Golden Gladiator
Michael Lynch wanted a second shot at the sport he loves. He spent the better part of his life living and breathing everything football. From his early days as one of five football-loving children, Lynch knew he was destined to have the sport as a significant focus of his life. Having moved from playing football on sandlots to playing in high school, college, and semi-professional teams, Lynch had almost run the gamut when it comes to the sport he loves. But, as the years passed, Lynch found himself yearning for another shot on the field.
The Golden Gladiator, by Michael Lynch, is the story of the author’s lifelong love of football and his determination to carry his involvement with the game into his golden years. Virtually everything he sees and does reminds him of the game he came to know so well in his youth, and he looks for every opportunity to delve into the ins and outs of the game. Lynch has maintained his health, and physical conditioning remains a priority for him. He is more than ready for another chance to participate in a game, and he begins his search for the perfect team.
Lynch is open and honest about his thought process leading up to his decision to try out for a semi-pro team nearly forty years after his last game. The author is candid–something all readers will appreciate. Approaching my fifties, I was able to empathize with the desire to relive experiences from my twenties. Though Lynch’s work centers around football, it is a fabulous book for any reader who wants to turn back time and relive their youth.
Football fans will relish in Lynch’s experiences. From start to finish, he includes exchanges between renowned names in football, sport-specific terminology, and references to games any true fan will recall. Lynch leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing readers with a narrative they won’t soon forget.
The Golden Gladiator is an inspiring book for anyone who is looking for a refreshing look at the sport of football through the eyes of someone who has been there, done that, and yearned to do it one more time. Lynch is making his own dreams come true while handing readers hope for their own. This is a must-read for readers of all genres.
Pages: 426 | ISBN : 979-8-9850891-0-3
The Reasons I Enjoy Writing Romance
Numbers Game follows a football coach who’s relationship with a reporter turns into something deep and changes the direction of both their lives. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I love stories about athletes, having raised one of them and seen first hand how hard it is to truly achieve those sorts of goals. In fact, all three of my kids played sports of some kind or another in high school and I was always involved somehow — running the concession stand at football and soccer games, helping raise money as a booster, and of course driving to endless practices and attending games all over the U.S. that were necessary to get my youngest to her spot on a Division 1 Big Ten women’s soccer team. We lived in Ann Arbor at the time, and my kids’ school was located directly across the street from The Big House, where Michigan plays football. The town was utterly consumed by football on Saturdays in the fall and that sort of atmosphere was exhilarating to those of use who are sports fans (even if we weren’t Michigan fans per se, we did love living there on football weekends.) I got to meet both Harbaugh brothers (Jim is the Michigan coach) in 2016 when I helped run a fundraising auction and dinner for the high school’s athletic program that we invited them both to attend. It was a rush and meeting one of my favorite pro coaches (John, coach of the Ravens) was a highlight for me.
Desiree is an alum of the University of Michigan and we always made a point to meet up when she’d come to town from Florida to attend a game. I made sure to get her a signed commemorative football from our event and she keeps it on her inspiration shelf in her office. We’re both football fans, and we concocted our fictional Michigan football town with Ann Arbor in mind, without a doubt (even though I cheered for Michigan State …women’s soccer, anyway)!
Hatch and Olivia were intriguing and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind the development of their relationship?
We divided up the tasks of writing in their POVs. I wrote Hatch’s and Desiree wrote Olivia’s. It took us almost 2 years to complete this book since we started it as a romantic suspense but it kept turning in a more contemporary, second chances style story the more we wrote. We wanted our characters to both be older than the usual romance standards, both divorced, and having seen the puppet strings behind a marriage, somewhat disinclined to repeat that process. They are laser focused on the goals they’ve set for themselves: Hatch bringing his alma mater’s program back to prominence while leaving his gambling issues behind him. Olivia emerging from a bad marriage and re-capturing her mojo as a sports journalist. But one of the reasons I enjoy writing romance novels is the creation of characters on seemingly separate trajectories that end up colliding, and then what? It’s the “then what” that allows me to show them as people with real emotions, making mistakes, and ultimately recovering and finding happiness.
What was the writing collaboration like with author Desiree Holt?
It was a fun and learning experience. We’ve been published about the same amount of years, but Desires has a lot more books out than I do, as I’ve been working around days jobs while writing. What was amazing and satisfying to me was how well we meshed–keeping egos and pre-conceived notions about how the book should flow out of our equation.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am working on several things at the moment, but the next book I’m releasing is the final book in a best selling series (Stewart Realty) also set in Michigan. It’s the second generation’s turn to have their happily ever after, and so BACKUP OFFER is a book that is a “ten years later” look at a relationship that fell apart in book 8 — for good, self-care sorts of reasons — and how everything comes back full circle in a mature, gratifying way for the couple in question, as well as for their friend and family. I think “second chance” stories are among my favorite to read and write. My characters are (sometimes too) fallible. They make mistakes, do dumb, human things. But I always redeem them.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | BookBub | Amazon | GoodReads | Website
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Olivia Grant’s ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she’d had a crush on the senior football hero, but he hadn’t known she existed. She never expects the sparks that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must face if they both want to win.
Lived and Breathed the Game
The Mosquito Fleet takes readers through the golden years of the Carlton Football Club. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Football in the late seventies and early eighties was incredibly tribal. The game was yet to go national, so there were terrific suburban rivalries. In Melbourne, Victoria people lived and breathed the game, it was a religion. Matches were exclusively played on Saturday afternoons. The players were semi-professional, they all worked a normal 9-5 job and were able to relate and connect with the general public. I wanted to reconstruct those magical times again.
What was one of the fondest memories of that time?
Carlton had a team lacking height, just four players over 190cm. The Mosquito Fleet had the most gifted and talented group of small players in the competition that captured the football publics imagination with their breathtaking play. On Sunday nights the ABC had a weekly show The Winners that was must-see TV around Australia. It had the weekly results of matches; The goal of the day, Mark of the day, and Play of the Day, and Carlton seemed to feature nearly every week.
What were some of the ideas that were important to explore in this book?
Issues such as addiction to painkillers, depression and mental health were all important to uncover and explore. In the early eighties no one had the knowledge of stress and depression and ‘having a jab’ in an ankle or knee was commonplace. Mental health is a much stronger focus with professional sporting bodies today, but back then they just didn’t have the resources.
Concussion is another one. Several sportspeople have suffered post career with the affects of injuries to the brain.
When and where will you book be available?
The Mosquito Fleet is expected to be released in October this year and should be available in most bookstores and through Shawline Publishing. www.shawlinepublishing.com.au.
Author Link: Facebook
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