South by Southeast has a new home
Your new home for in-depth articles on the history of Gamecock athletics
It was time for a change. After over a decade of blogging intermittantly on a rival platform about a variety of topics, including triathlon, travel, history, Gamecock sports, and even a dabbling in political commentary, I came to the realization that South by Southeast had become, well, a disjointed mess. It was time to focus my efforts.
I have recently completed my first book, and that creative process helped me to understand the value of grinding, of writing not just when inspiration strikes, which can be fleeting, but sitting down each morning and putting in the work, researching and writing even when I don’t really feel like it. Especially when I don’t really feel like it. Because work begets inspiration, I discovered, not the other way around.
Moreover, the subject of my book, University of South Carolina athletics in the independent era, helped me find my true passion and focus. I am most fortunate to have found a publisher willing to take this project on, and am beyond gratified that it happens to be the publishing arm of my alma mater, USC Press.
A Gamecock Odyssey: South Carolina Sports in the Independent Era (1971-1991) is due for publication in the fall of 2023. It explores USC’s 20 years in “the wilderness” between conference homes in the ACC and the SEC. More broadly, it delves into the societal changes which took place during that era, from the early years following the segregation of varsity athletics in the South, to the evolution of women’s sports, to the rise of collegiate athletics as big business, all through the prism of Gamecock sports.
In this new version of South by Southeast, I will bring you bi-weekly stories from that era and others, chronicling the long, often fraught, and sometimes thrilling history of Gamecock athletics, and the players, coaches, and characters who have made it special. Mixed in from time to time, I’ll bring you stories on the broader history of the University of South Carolina, and of Columbia. This blog is ultimately a tribute and a love letter to my university and to the home town I left over a decade ago.
I appreciate you reading, and if you are inclined, sharing this blog with others who would be interested.
Welcome to South by Southeast.
Forever to Thee!
