Freddy Boswell

Love One and Hate the Other Freddy Boswell

Love One and Hate the Other is a fictional memoir about the life of a young man who grows up inside the predominant culture war in the state of Alabama. That war is based on the Auburn-Alabama college football rivalry, and it shapes and affects every facet of life, from love to vocational choices. While the American obsession with college football provides an important framework for the story, this is more than a football tale. The author details Alabamians' extravagant cultural obsession through the eyes of protagonist Joe Billy Thompson as he recounts a memorable cast of characters: Uncle Moon Pie, the bigger-than-life quintessential Auburn fan; Old Man Parker, a 1932 graduate of Alabama; Jobab Robinson, the other-worldly high school football talent; Joe Billy's gorgeous junior high love, Betty Jean Asher; and, the Bama tailgate party crowd gathered at Miss Truby's in the theater district in New York. Importantly, Joe Billy's memoir documents the prevalent thread of institutional and cultural racism during the time-frame of the narrative. Also, while many books document the South's obsession with football, this story uses football to frame ventures into love, romance, weddings, funerals, church services, and betting gains and losses.