BookWire - Meet The Author

Neela Sakaria: Thank you for your time. Please tell us about your writing background. Is this your first book?

Leonard Brumm: This is my first book. My previous writing consisted of being the sports and political editor of a weekly newspaper I used to be part owner of in Marquette, Michigan. It was called the Marquette Mirror and functioned from 1968 through 1972. While living in the country of Kuwait (1982-87) I wrote all the ice hockey stories for BOTH English language newspapers there. I wrote separate stories from different perspectives in each story for each game (this was a part time job. My main job was Project Manger for the building of the new Kuwait International Airport) I also did some writing for a monthly hockey paper in the Detroit area for about six months until it folded! (1998).

Neela: The book is on quite an unusual subject - events in Michigan's maximum security prison. Can you tell our readers about how the idea came to you?

LB: When I was actively employed at the prison, the warden used to send me out to give the public relations speeches to whatever community group wanted a speaker from the prison. After I left the prison I was involved in coaching and promoting three or four very good minor league hockey teams. The teams always looked for groups that wanted speakers (Rotary, Kiwanis, church groups, sports clubs etc.)When they found out I used to coach hockey in the notorious Marquette prison they could not get enough of the stories. After each speech two to ten people from the group would come up to me and say "you ought to write a book" and then they usually asked if I would speak to their "other" group. I thought about writing but did not move on it until I saw the movie THE LONGEST YARD staring Burt Reynolds. When I saw this movie I could relate to all the characters except Burt Reynolds. I knew real life convicts exactly like the ones in the movie. The fifty or so stories in this book are only about a third of the stories I have. I will guarantee you I can mesmerize even the most jaded group with my total repertory!

NS: Do you think that treatment of prisoners has changed over the years? If so, what is your opinion of these changes?

LB: From what I can find out and understand the treatment has not basically changed - but the type of convict has changed. In my time we had, for the most part, professional hardened criminals who knew right from wrong. If they got caught breaking the law they were ready to do the time as soon and as easy as possible. Now the convicts are a lot of druggies and people that don't know right from wrong and feel they are imprisoned wrongfully. The only thing that will cure or rehabilitate 95% of these convicts, old time or present, is TIME. Their vital juices and outlook will be considerably different at 50-60 or 70 than it is at 20 or 30 or even 40.

LB: If handled right with the proper backing from the prison administration - and by that I mean having the facilities and equipment to play but administered very closely by a professional coach or recreation director, sports and recreation can allow these inmates to let off a lot of steam and get rid of a lot of hostility. One thing that will destroy a prison sports and recreation program is having inmates operating it. One convict cannot have any power over another convict FOR ANY REASON. Prison life simply doesn't work that way. Inmates can't coach or supervise other inmates because there are at least a hundred different ways one inmate can take advantage of another or force him to do something he might not do otherwise. Even in prison athletes have some extra privileges and they can't be doled out or controlled by other inmates.

Neela: Tell us about the title of the book, We Only Played Home Games.

LB: Over the years while I was writing this book I wanted to title it: "No Smoking in the Huddle," which is a highly unusual thing to do in a football game. However, it was so unusual (especially for women) that few people caught the ironey of the title. Then I made up about 25 different titles that would fit the subject matter and had a contest among my friends and people I worked with to pick a title. "We Only Played Home Games" won by a huge margin.

Neela: What kind of a response has your book gotten?

LB: Since the book came out in the middle of January, we have sold approximately 350 to 400 books. The books are selling especially well in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where the prison is located and where a lot of people know me. So far it has not reached its potential in other areas primarily because we are still in the process of distributing media kits to media. The media that has already reviewed the book has given it very favorable reviews, including one reviewer that sees the potential for a screenplay.

Neela: Thank you very much, and good luck.