Meet Mandy Shunnarah | Writer and Skater

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandy Shunnarah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mandy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I remember the exact moment I decided to be a writer when I was five years old. I was in my kindergarten class, and we were learning how to write with those chunky pencils with the triangle grips that made them easier to hold. At some point, it clicked in my head that letters form words, words form sentences, and sentences form paragraphs, and all the books I loved that my grandmother read to me were full of paragraphs, and someone got to write them. I thought, “Why not me?”

I got so excited upon having this realization that I chewed down on my pencil so hard it broke. Then, I pulled the graphite out and ate it. Thankfully, graphite is non-toxic, but that’s my writer origin story. I’ve been orienting myself toward that goal since, but it’s not like there are job postings that say “Novelists Wanted,” so I decided in college that I’d do anything that paid me to write, which led me to journalism.

Being a freelance journalist for over a decade made me appreciate the art of writing compelling nonfiction, but I wanted to do more creative writing. So, in 2020, when I got laid off from my day job at a time when no one was hiring, I decided to find a project that used my skills as a journalist and my gift as a creative writer.

I’d started roller skating at skateparks in 2019, having no idea that roller skating would blow up as a pandemic hobby. I’ve always loved reading, so whenever I get into a new hobby, I want to learn all about it. Unfortunately, nearly all the books I found about skating at skateparks were about the architecture of skateparks and how to build them, memoirs from skateboarder dudes in California, or photography books with little to no written narrative. Those things are cool, but not what I was looking for. I wanted written stories of people, preferably non-dudes, skating in places outside the West Coast. There are a ton of skateparks in the Midwest, including some bucket list-worthy spots, as well as skate manufacturers and talented pros, so I wanted to learn more about them.

There’s an old saying for writers: “If there’s a book you want to read that doesn’t exist, you have to write it.” I took that very literally, and that’s how Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland was born. I spent five weeks touring the Midwest, interviewing professional and amateur skateboarders, roller bladers, roller skaters, wheelchair skaters, and extreme unicyclists, as well as skate manufacturers, skate collective organizers, skatepark owners, and people who use skating to support the social justice causes they believe in. Along the way, I visited skateparks that range from legendary, must-skate spots to small DIYs.

Midwest Shreds is part cultural history, part travelogue, and part memoir, so the book’s blend of genres was the perfect way for me to combine my skills and passion to fulfill my lifelong dream.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I’m most proud of is that there’s no other book quite like Midwest Shreds out there. I searched far and wide to find a book that told the history of skating in the Midwest in a compelling, entertaining way and came up empty, so I wrote it myself. I’m thrilled I found a gap in the marketplace that allowed me to use my unique interests and talents, and that readers love the book. Multiple readers have said they’re intentionally reading it slowly because they don’t want it to end, and one person even said that one of the chapters was so beautiful it made them cry!

Nothing about writing a book is easy, but I’m happy to report that a decade of freelance journalism prepared me well for the task. I crafted interview questions that resonated with the interview subjects and made them feel seen, so they opened up to me more. Their insights are what truly make the book special.

The hardest part of bringing Midwest Shreds to life was that a few months before I got the book deal, I’d gotten laid off for the third time in ten years. I was fed up with the traditional workforce and devoting 40+ hours a week of my time, energy, and talents to companies that didn’t care about me or align with my values. I freelanced on the side that whole time because it was the only way I knew to keep working on my dream of being a full-time writer while doing grunt work for other people to pay my bills. I don’t regret the decisions that led me here, though I initially believed that being self-employed was a magic solution to every work woe and quickly found out that’s not the case. Being self-employed presents its own unique set of challenges, such as how to keep consistent income while taking the time to focus deeply on larger creative projects.

My saving grace was that in the decade I freelanced on the side, I built up my skills and client list, so when I became a full-time writer, I didn’t have to spend much time figuring out the basics. I already had a business and clients who could vouch for me. I always tell freelance writers that you don’t get paid to pitch, you only get paid for the work you do, so the less time you spend pitching, the better. At this point, I’m happy to say that I have enough consistent clients that I rarely pitch, which makes it much easier for me to have time to work on bigger creative projects like books.

The most surprising thing for me is that my debut book is in the sports genre. Besides a brief stint running track and cross-country in high school, I was never particularly athletic until I started skating. Actually, I came to actively avoid exercising once I realized it was a factor in a years-long eating disorder where I’d meticulously count calories and exercise so that I burned double the amount I ate. I’d do hundreds of situps daily and run a handful of miles. But when you’re skating at skateparks, there are no reps, so there’s nothing to count obsessively, and you’re so focused on not dying or busting your teeth out that you can’t possibly be obsessed with your weight while you’re flying on wheels. Skating was exactly the movement I needed for my body and brain.

I also want people to know that I’m not “just” a literary sports, history, and culture writer; I’m also an award-winning poet, so every sentence is crafted to be informative and beautiful. My next book will be a collection of poetry called We Had Mansions about my Palestinian identity, family, love, and relationship to the land as an indigenous Palestinian living in diaspora.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love all the indie bookstores in Columbus. In no particular order, I’m a big fan of Two Dollar Radio Headquarters, Prologue Bookshop, Bookspace Columbus, and The Book Loft.

As for food, you can find me at Local Cantina eating tacos multiple times per week. I’m also a massive fan of Yemeni Restaurant, Lavash, Habibi Grill, Halab Cafe, Olive and Lime, North East Chinese, and Sushi Time. Several of those restaurants are off the beaten path but nonetheless deserve attention because they’re all delicious.

Being self-employed, I always need writer fuel, aka coffee. My favorite local spots are Crimson Cup, Qamaria, Global Gallery, and Cup of Joe.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people and organizations I’m grateful for and who have been instrumental in bringing Midwest Shreds to life! In no particular order…

See Jane Write: A writing group I’ve participated in for over a decade.

Skate Naked Skatepark: Columbus, Ohio’s only indoor skatepark. It’s where I learned all my skatepark skills and continues to be a place where I make fun memories.

Kate Davis and Tabi Mund: My first skate friends who taught me all the basics.

Clintonville Roller Club: A fun group of skaters I love hanging out with.

The Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council: Local organizations who have generously supported my creative endeavors.

Belt Publishing and Arcadia Publishing: The imprint and press who believed in Midwest Shreds enough to publish it.

Jon Reed: My ex-husband who first introduced me to Belt Publishing’s books and suggested I write about skating when I first got laid off in the pandemic. I’m glad I listened!

And, of course, my friends and partners, of whom there are too many people to name without me being paranoid I’ll leave someone out and feel guilty about it later. They know who they are. They’ve listened to me talk about this book endlessly for the past four years.

Website: https://mandyshunnarah.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offthebeatenshelf/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-shunnarah-43a5371a9/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fixedbaroque

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandy.shunnarah

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MandyShunnarah/videos

Image Credits
Headshot credit: Kateri Ang and Gabe Rosenberg