Grinnell native’s novel to become major motion picture

A North Liberty real estate agent with Poweshiek County ties is set to have one of his seven novels made into a full-length major motion picture.

Filming of “Death of a Brewer” is slated to begin in Iowa in June or July of this year. The movie is based on the book, “Beer Money, A Tale of the Iowa City Beer Mafia,” by S.C. Sherman, which was released in 2020.

Sherman is a 1988 graduate of Grinnell High School.

“My book ‘Beer Money’ is based on the true events of the beer riots of 1884 and is set in Iowa City,” said Sherman.

“Beer Money” is Sherman’s sixth novel and was born out of a tour several years ago he took of the beer caves 30 feet under the only remaining brewery building in Iowa City at the corner of Linn and Market Streets.

“It was an amazing tour and brought to life a story lost to history that I’d never heard of before,” said Sherman.

“It’s a story about German and Czech immigrants and three great breweries on the north side of Iowa City. Their way of life clashed with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and a dramatic tale unfolded into The Beer Riots of 1884 and the men known in Iowa City as the Beer Mafia,” said Sherman.

“I became obsessed and researched the story from that point on.

“The story chronicles the violence that broke out after Iowa enacted a full prohibition of alcohol in the 1880s,” Sherman said. “It did not go well. Immigrant and religious groups clashed, as a story like the Gangs of New York or Peaky Blinders unfolded right across the prairies of Iowa.”

Iowa City native and Los Angeles screenwriter Mokotsi Rukundo wrote the script for the movie. It is being produced in collaboration with Iowa investors and LA producers.

A proof of the sizzle — a short promo for the movie — was shot in Iowa City a couple years ago.

A love of writing

Writing was never on the radar for Sherman until he was encouraged to explore the art in high school. He was then offered a job at a newspaper at the University of Iowa, which he turned down.

“I didn’t think of myself as a writer or an author and didn’t entertain it or pursue it,” said Sherman of his youthful days.

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“I did end up with a degree in Communications Studies, but launched into a varied career starting in construction as a tile setter and general contractor building residential homes, eventually becoming a real estate agent as well.”

It wasn’t until his forties that the joy of writing found him.

“I discovered an old family genealogy story that had been lost to history on my Sherman side,” said Sherman. “A great uncle had done some research and dispersed it to the family. It led me to one particular character, Philip Sherman.

“Young Philip was a Puritan and brought the Sherman name to America from England. I became obsessed with the story and began researching and discovered even more interesting information,” Sherman said.

“He did such amazing things and stood strong for his beliefs at great risk for himself. He left a comfortable life in England and all of his family to land in Boston with Gov. John Winthrop and his band of believers building their City on a Hill.

“It wasn’t long until Philip and his new bride got caught up in the Anne Hutchinson scandals and were banished,” said Sherman. “They fled to Rhode Island, and he became the first Secretary of State and penned Portsmouth Compact that our national constitution was subsequently built upon. The first government separating church and state.

“I decided to write the story of Philip as a historical fiction for no other reason than to chronicle the great deeds for my children and future Shermans to enjoy.

“I had no idea that writing that book would change my life in many ways and launch my writing career,” Sherman said. “The Philip story became my first book, titled, ‘Leaving Southfields,’ which ignited the flame of writing in me, and since that day it has refused to shut off.

“I have seven published novels in various genres and another two completed manuscripts in the publishing process.”

Publishing Journey

Sherman’s publishing journey has been a learning process.

“I started out by getting ‘taken’ by what is known as vanity or subsidy press,” said Sherman. “When you are a new writer, you are very susceptible to being preyed upon by people promising all sorts of things around publishing your book.

“The publishers of my first book actually ended up in jail. I have their mug shots and use them in some of my presentations. It’s pretty funny now, but it wasn’t then.”

Vanity or subsidy press ask authors to put a substantial amount of money toward publishing their book, which is almost always a red flag.

“All sorts of promises go with that investment, usually none of them are true,” he said. “These shady publishers get away with it by providing just enough services to keep from being sued or arrested.”

Sherman self-published his next three books.

“This was before we had companies like Amazon or other self-publishing companies of which there are several available to authors now,” Sherman said.

“I actually hired editors and formatters. I did the covers myself, taking pictures, designing the fonts and handling the layout.

“I hired a printing company and printed small runs, warehousing boxes of books in my garage. I hired a programmer to build the website to take orders, and then I marketed the stories to whoever would buy them.

“When the orders came in, I packaged them and shipped them all over the country.”

Sherman also has several of his books published by traditional publishing houses. His books, “Lone Wolf Canyon”“ and Beer Money” were published by Post Hill Press, which is distributed by Simon and Schuster.

His scary book, “Seven Days and Six Nights,” was published by Severed Press Publishing.

“I don’t handle anything now other than writing the story and marketing,” said Sherman.

When asked what advice he has for aspiring writers, Sherman said, “Don’t think too much. Just write. If you have a story in your heart, just write it. It’s been given to you and you alone. Who cares what becomes of it? Just write it.

“I don’t write for an audience,” said Sherman. “God knows I don’t write for acclaim or money. I write because when I get a story … I can’t rest until it’s out of me. I will sometimes write an entire 80,000-word novel in 60 days, but then I may not write again for a year.

“That may not be how you do it, but who cares,” added Sherman. “Be who you were meant to be. Don’t try to be someone else. There is no competition in writing. Just create what you are meant to create.

“Also, if you are easily crushed by criticism, don’t write anything or share it to the world.”

Sherman’s latest book, “A Bass Reeves Adventure — Give Me The Warrant,” is a story about an amazing man lost to history because of the racism of the day.

“Bass Reeves was a runaway slave during the Civil War,” said Sherman. “He hid out in the Oklahoma Territory, learning several native languages, and after the war he became one of the first Black U.S. Marshals who worked for Hanging Judge Parker at Fort Smith, Arkansas.

“He has more than 3,000 confirmed arrests over his long career of arresting bad guys, usually by himself, out in the wild west. My story is just one of many fantastic tales of adventure from Bass’s life.”

Sherman is available for appearances, book signings and school visits to talk about creative writing.

Sherman’s books are all available at his website, scsherman.com, ships straight to your door through Amazon.

Also at the website are summaries and back page blurbs for each book.

“Beer Money” is available at John’s Grocery and Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City as well.