The Last Season: A Father, a Son, and a Lifetime of College Football

Stevens (Malaria Dreams), who worked as a lead strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid and wrote for TV shows such as Northern Exposure and Commander in Chief, explores Mississippi culture and how it has changed (or hasn’t) in the last half-decade—all of which turns out to draw on both his Hollywood side and his political experience. Stevens returns home to attend Ole Miss football games with his 95-year-old father, Phineas, hoping to recapture the feeling he had going to Rebel games with his dad in the 1960s. Phineas is quick as a whip and full of one-liners, and he takes center billing with his son playing the straight man. As for the ghosts of the past—including the Civil Rights movement, racism, segregation—Stevens combines his memories of boyhood with his 60 years of knowledge to show how far America has come and how far we still need to go. Throughout, Stevens captures the spirit of college athletics, and ties it into his foundation of fun and family. B&w photos. (Sept.) [em] [/em]