Craig Garner, a current Honey Brook resident who resided in West Chester for decades, recently published his debut novel at the age of 82. In Garner’s words, it’s never too late.
After 50 years of writing, submitting, and rejections, he finally pushed through to the other side with I Came to Play Your Game. Described as a multi-genre hit, the novel fits lovers of sports, science fiction, and young adult reads.
I Came to Play Your Game details the story of a young teenager, Sublimious, who comes from another civilization to play football at a small town high school in the United States. His special talents and techniques set him apart from other players and students, propelling the team forward to reach new heights. Seeing life differently than your average American teen, Sublimious is guided by friends, teammates, and coaches to adapt to a society that can be both rewarding and unmerciful.
Over the years, Garner has written several short stories surrounding sports and football themes, but he was searching for an unconventional angle that you wouldn’t find in sports literature. Conjuring up Sublimious, whose name is a combination of sublime and noble, he was able to write the novel in five months.
“Writing is the one thing I can do well in this life and one that gives me pleasure,” Garner told VISTA.Today, “though it is sometimes hard,” he admitted.
He thought about his first-class literary agent who talked to him truthfully about his writing—a man who continued to give encouragement despite never publishing anything and who passed away at age 88.
“I just felt I had to give it one more try,” said Garner. And it paid off.
So far, incoming responses from readers far and wide show that they identify with many features of the story such those who adore the football aspect and others who connect with heartwarming characters. As a retirement community resident, Garner expressed unexpected delight at seeing seniors enjoy the book, a true middle ground read for any age.
While arguably every scene is a favorite in your own work, Garner’s darling is when Sublimious meets with a history teacher who tells the high school junior all about the history of football, how it evolved, how it is the true definition of American meritocracy. The information is new to someone from another world, but Sublimious quickly sees the truth in his teacher’s words about the sport’s impact.
Published by Munn Avenue Press of New Jersey, the book is 189 pages and is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram book sites.
Garner has bachelors in history from Ursinus College and a masters in journalism from Ohio University. For 20 years, he edited magazines and wrote executive speeches for DuPont Corp. in Wilmington.
