Blog: Brown Beginnings, Issue 1
The process of writing a book is not for the faint of heart. There are many stages; some joyful, some captivating, some just plain arduous (a little like life). Mostly, though, it’s about doing the work. So every Tuesday until the book is released later this summer, I will send out a series called Brown Beginnings. The format will be a question and answer with the author (that’s me). The idea is to take the reader (that’s you) behind the scenes on the process of conceiving, reporting and writing The Boys In Brown.
Today’s first Q&A starts at the start.
When did you first come up with the idea for the book?
My first cousin, Carl Nerup, has two children. His oldest, Andrew, went to St. Francis Middle School in Lake Zurich and enrolled at Carmel in fall of 2005. By 2006, he was the starting quarterback for the sophomore team. He called me up and invited me to a game. I was living in Chicago at the time and I drove up on a Friday afternoon that October of 2006 to go to a game. To be honest, I had heard of Carmel but had no idea where it was. I had to print out directions on MapQuest before I left my condo! I did eventually find the campus. I sat in the stands with Carl and the other parents that day and was impressed by the spirit and enthusiasm of the group. I detected a strong sense of community about the place even then. I remember driving back that night and thinking that it was an experience I wanted again. I didn’t know it would become a book but an idea was hatched that day.
Did you go to more games? How else were you exposed to Carmel?
I attended a few of Andrew’s varsity games in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 team made the state semifinals. By 2008, Andrew was the starting quarterback. So that was fun. As Carl’s cousin, I was able to share this experience with a close relative. The ups, the downs, the roller coaster ride that is a football season when someone you know, a family member, is a significant contributor. I had known Andrew since he was a child, so to see him thrive in a Carmel uniform was super cool. The other side of me, the writer, continued to be intrigued. Attending the pre-game tailgates, watching the games, I became friendly with the other parents. I have a natural ear for people and stories and the way they spoke about Carmel, with such uniform affection, stoked my curiosity. After the 2008 season, I asked Carl if he could arrange a meeting with head football coach Andy Bitto. So in April of 2009, Andy, Carl and I met for breakfast at Grandma V’s in Mundelein. I had only seen Andy as this frenetic, brown and gold clad man roaming the sidelines during Carmel football games. At that breakfast (I’m pretty sure he wore a brown shirt and yellow tie), I saw another side of him. I saw a man who was a gravely voiced football coach, yes, but also a representation of all the characteristics I had witnessed from the parents I met. He was someone who cared deeply about his players and about the school.
You were obviously interested in some kind of story about the football team and the school. Did you write anything?
I stayed in touch with Andy throughout the spring and summer of 2009. By football season, I pitched a magazine, American Football Monthly, on a story about Carmel. It was a behind-the-scenes game day piece. They bought it. Andy gave me full access to pre-game meetings. The story received good reviews and I know Andy got positive feedback from it. I think that helped spurn my interest in doing more and the fact Carmel was unique in how it approached its program culture.
What happened next?
I kind of put the story back on the shelf. I was attending graduate school at DePaul University and that winter, writing columns and covering basketball for the Aurora-Beacon News. Life got in the way for a while, but the light never extinguished. In February of 2010, I was interviewing a coach for a story I was researching. The coach gave me a copy of Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx. After about 10 pages, I put the book down and called Andy. I said, ‘What do you think about doing a book?’ He said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Yes, I think there’s a book here.’
That spring and summer I met many times with Andy and discussed how to proceed. In order to move forward with project, I had to have complete access—meetings, practices, meals, etc. It was the only way to tell a truthful story. He agreed and we got the necessary permission from school officials.
On July 20, 2010, I attended my first Carmel practice.
I didn’t know where I was headed. But I knew I was in the right place.
