So Much!
One idea my wife had, was, when this is all done, what am I going to do with the thousands of hours of interviews, newspapers, and transcripts.
A podcast would be the obvious solution to the most vexing problem I have. What to leave out of the book?
There is a huge part of me that cannot stand the thought of leaving substantial amounts of great stories to the ether, though I completely understand that using the medium of a book, it is inevtiable.
I suspect a podcast will be the answer, and while the book is making the rounds, this will be a good bookend to the journey, and satisfy my itch to release much more of what I have.
I keep having this dream. I send my final edited draft in, and take a deep breathe of satisfaction. Then, an email, from someone deep in the Piney Woods. Somewhere near Ore City, someone has gone through their parents old VHS tapes, and found the missing 1983 Tigers first 11 games played.
I scream in 50% happiness and 50% rage.
Then I wake up.
I know somewhere they are out there. Maybe luck will find a way to me someday down the road, but when I have them, the first call I am making is to David Mims, and a documentary would begin.
Ok, so you want to know when? I know. I know. I’ll be transparent enough to tell you that I am pushing for a mid summer release, and this will coincide with the football season and some areas I want to market the book at.
Though I am not writing this book for coaches, a high disparity of interest has come from coaches and people closely associated with the football scene. Basically insiders. The rest I will have to educate.
If I am not ready, though, I am not ready. The only true time table I have is that I am completely satisfied with the product I put forth. I owe it to those players and coaches who trusted me to do that.
One of the great books I have read about the Piney Woods is a book called, Under the Chinaberry Tree, by Tumbleweed Smith. It has some of the best decriptions of natural life the area for which it has always been known.
Here is a snippet.
“East Texas trademarks are water and trees. If it doesn’t have water and trees, it’s not East Texas. East Texans worship water and trees. Their lives revolve around a well, spring, branch, stream, bayou, pond, brook, creek, river, or lake. And they love to live in the woods.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“They had a fried chicken place out here in Daingerfield called Jerry’s Chicken. The player of the week would be in the town newspaper from Jerry’s Chicken and would get free chicken. Every one of us wanted to get in that paper.” - Guy Searcy