MUMENTOUS
Original Photos and Mostly-True Stories about Football, Glue Guns, Moms, and a Supersized High School Tradition
That Was Born Deep in the Heart of Texas
by
Amy J. Schultz
Nonfiction / Photo-Driven Memoir / Women’s History / Pop Culture / Texana
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Page Count: 178 pages
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
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The closest you'll ever get to seeing someone actually wear their heart on their sleeve is in Texas, every fall, at the local high school homecoming game.
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.
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Even if you grew up in Texas, if you are a mom and your kids go to school, brace yourself when they enter high school, for MUMS will come your way. And it may end up being a whole different experience than what you remember (or, if you haven't had the delight, the experience will be quite an initiation). But don't despair, this book will save your life and make you laugh a little while doing it. MUMENTOUS is about all the momentous and stupendous (and sometimes even horrendous!) ups and downs of making sure you, as a Texas Mom, know what in the ever-loving-world you are supposed to do when it comes to mum time (bless our hearts).
This book by Amy J. Schultz is an easy, fun read, with lots of pictures, and plenty of topics to dive into. I found myself wishing it had existed when my daughter was in high school. I also found myself glad that our local high schools didn't quite go for the HUMUNGOUS, (BIGGER IS BETTER) mindset in this regard. (Who knew that each school was so different?). I say this with a smile, for it's all in good fun tradition. And I am glad that the book also covered some of the other thinking in regards to this super-large Texas tradition, for what would tradition be without anti-tradition, especially this day and age? And it is always good to know.
I would say thank you for the ebook in exchange for an honest review, but I liked it enough that I bought my own copy. One never knows when she might need a little MUMENTOUS knowledge, after all.
Well done! I hope you'll check it out, too.
Amy J. Schultz is an author and award-winning photographer who explores unique
aspects of modern culture that hide in plain sight. When she isn’t talking about homecoming mums, Amy is writing, taking photos, working on other creative projects, traveling, snort-laughing, or vacuuming up dog fur.
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Love this review and glad you mentioned the book also explores the perspective of those who don't love this tradition.