Pick a theme. Make a list. Share it with us. AZ Derby Dames Bombshell Shawnee Rotten tells us why this mother of six rocks the Derby and lists off her favorite American historical novels.
What is this HANDPICKED thing?
"I used to watch roller derby on Saturday afternoons," says Shawnee Rotten, blocker for the AZ Derby Dames' Bombshells. "My brother and I loved watching it. I used to skate around my neighborhood as fast as I could, pretending I was a rollergirl."
Having moved back to her native Phoenix after many years away, "housewifey boredom" was setting in for Shawnee. She tried out for the AZ Derby Dames after seeing the fun a few of her friends were having. A childhood love of roller-skating helped seal the deal. "Phoenix had so many roller rinks in the seventies. It was wonderful."
She admits to being a little crazy, much like her derby persona. "My derby profile is based on real events in my life and my childhood," she says. "The only difference is that in real life I'm a mom of six - yes, six - children. I have a full-time laundry monster in my house. I used to homeschool them, and can be a domestic jack of all trades - only not so obsessive-compulsive as a domestic diva. Being in roller derby is a wonderful outlet to get a great full-body workout and have adult conversation with a diverse group of ladies."
She admits to being a Mom-like figure to her Bombshells teammates as well. "A little discipline here, a little advice there." She often helps to organize and bake for AZDD bake sales, though her job on the track is hardly the stuff of cupcakes and cookies. "As a blocker, and sometimes pivot, it's my job to be in the way of the other team at all times. This is where having that big Mom butt really comes in handy."
Catch Shawnee Rotten and the Bombshells tear up the track on Sat, Oct 13 at the Castle Sports Club, where they'll play the Coffin Draggers in the AZ Derby Dames Play-Offs! Bout starts at 8 p.m. with half-time music by Green Lady Killers. Tickets are $8 advance, $10 at the door, and are on sale at all Bookmans locations. Visit the AZ Derby Dames MySpace for details.
What makes your team best in the AZDD league?
BOMBSHELLS! We have Jugger Naughty, the hardest hitter, as our captain, and Phenomenon, one of the fastest point-scoring jammers ever, as our co-captain. They are tough leaders. We are a bunch of tough girls.
Why should people come see you play?
To watch a 30-something Mom doing something way out of the ordinary. And because roller derby is a hoot. Bring posters, signs, wear team colors, and have a good yelling voice. You'll have fun like you've never had before.
What are your passions outside of roller derby?
Reading, cinema, music, cooking. I love foreign and classic films. Diverse reaches of music styles in my CD and record player, and I read avidly.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
That I love doom metal and Viking metal music. I can't get enough of Finland's Swallow the Sun and Sweden's Amon Amarth right now. I met Swallow the Sun a few weeks ago - nice Finnish boys with growling, haunting music.
"I'm like the perfect Bookmans customer!" Shawnee says. "You all have music, films, and books - my family's three favorite things in the world! And, in an earthy sort of way, your store is like recycling. Only the goods are in good condition. I love that your 19th Ave location is right next door to Sprouts. It's like being next to a giant co-op."
Shawnee Rotten's Handpicked
American Historical Fiction
Lately I've been reading a lot of books from the past and previous centuries. It's been good reading. Some of it is comedy, some of it is biographical. I purchase almost all of my books used; it's like a treasure hunt for us reading junkies to browse shelves for hours.
The Emigrant Series
by Vilhelm Moberg
This series consists of four books - "The Emigrants," "Unto a Good Land," "The Settlers," and "The Last Letter Home" - about a group of Swedish settlers and their journey to America. They settle in Minnesota and prosper there more than they ever could in their homeland. Each book is about a phase in their immigration. The first book touches on why these families chose to leave the poverty and religious persecution in Sweden and their harrowing journey across the sea. The second book follows them through a new country where things are free and different and they don't understand a word of English. They end up in Minnesota territory as the first of their kind settling there. The third book is about the hardships of settlement as farmers in the new land. The fourth book is the conclusion of their lives as Americans and the outcome of their descendants' lives. It's a fascinating series written by a Swedish author that came to America to find out what happened to his relatives a hundred years prior.
The Story of a Bad Boy
by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
The enriching and sometimes heartbreaking story of Thomas Aldrich's childhood in New England in the early 1800s. He wasn't always well-behaved and this leads to interesting outcomes.
The Best of Clarence Day
by Clarence Day
This includes the stories of "Life with Father," "Life with Mother" and "God and My Father." These stories of the childhood of Clarence Day were first published in The New Yorker magazine. It takes place in the 1890s-1910s, with his parents in their traditional roles as established Americans. An interesting viewpoint on life during that time. To be coupled with...
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