An Interview with My Dad, Author John V. LaBarge:
John V. LaBarge is, in fact, my dad. But he is also the
recently published author of “A Man in His Kingdom” a
book about his friend and late state representative Cola H. Hudson from Lyndon Vermont. John and Cola
had a 16 year long friendship and over that time John spent many hours with
Cola during the legislative sessions and the LaBarge family spent many hours in
the Kingdom with Cola. (Pics below of my dad and his book).
Synopsis: I first met Cola H. Hudson in January
of 1993 when I was a freshman representative in the Vermont Legislature; but
this story isn’t just about politics, this is a story about friendship. My
friendship with a man whose unique character and ability to articulate and
capture the essence of life truly influenced my own. Cola was raised on a farm
in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, surrounded by three generations of family.
He was a humble man who seasoned the changing times yet never lost sight of the
simplicities of life. He served his community for 36 years with honesty and
integrity, a quality that remained true of him in his public and private life.
Cola was my best friend and I doubt I will ever have another like him. Here in
the pages of this book I try to capture his character and wisdom to share with
you. I hope these stories make you laugh, make you think, and give you time to
slow down because at Cola’s core he was a man of peace and reflection. Join me
in a walk down memory lane with Cola H. Hudson as he recalls the past, discusses
the present and wonders about the future.
In my opinion: “If
you like Tuesday’s with Morrie By: Mitch Albom you will like A Man in His Kingdom. It is a beautiful
reflection of a unique man who was like a modern day philosopher. There are not
many others like him in current society. This book made me laugh out loud, cry,
and really think! I would absolutely
recommend it!!” I’m not just saying so because he’s my dad. ;) I am extremely
proud of my dad and very excited to share him with you. Below is an interview
with John so that you can get to know him better:
Q: Tell us a little about yourself?
A: I
was born and raised in Burlington
Vermont. I attended UVM for one
year. I worked for the Grand Union CO. for 16 years and then I married and
moved to Grand Isle, VT. My wife and I began our own small retail business in
So. Hero, VT and ran that for 24 years. During that time, I was elected to the
Vermont House of Representatives as state representative from Grand Isle County. I served for 10 years. My wife
and I have been married for 42 years and we have three grown children and three
grandchildren. I have been a member of the local Rotary Club, Vice President
and then President of So. Hero Players, a local theater group. In the late
1980’s I started a flying club. We purchased a Cessna 172 and I earned my
private pilot’s license. I enjoy camping, canoeing and kayaking and wild life
and scenic photography. In the winter I enjoy wood working in my shop in the
basement.
Q: Tell us about the subject of your book Cola H. Hudson. In your view
what made Cola such a unique person?
A: Cola and I met at the legislature and
developed a very close friendship lasting 16 years before his death in 2008. He
was one of the last examples of a conservative republican from the Northeast Kingdom
area of Vermont.
He grew up on a farm his grandfather purchased in 1903 and three generations
lived under the same roof. I felt his story was disappearing much like the
stories of World War II veterans are disappearing. The book is really about the
man and our deep friendship. It wasn’t until I met Cola that I knew what having
a real friend was all about.
Q: Can you describe your friendship and why you wanted to write about
it?
A: We both had a lot in common. We were both raised in a
close-knit family situation, with parents of very modest means. We had many
neighbors and knew them all very well, something that doesn’t happen much in
today’s neighborhoods. We both have a love for our state’s beauty and
politically both agreed that politicians are out of control and more and more
they believe they know what’s best for the people. Cola was a self made person
who really participated in the art of thinking. He took some college courses,
read a great deal and loved Emerson’s Essay’s. I appreciated his perspective on
life, politics and public policy. I wanted to share our friendship and his way
of thinking, hoping it may cause others to begin thinking about the direction
we seem to be headed in our state and country and as a society.
Q: Is this the first time that you have written anything?
A: I used to like to write during high school. I took a
creative writing course and over the years I wrote poems, a play, I liked to
write legislative update articles for our local newspaper. However, this was my
first endeavor in writing and publishing a book.
Q: What was it like to write a book about your friend?
A: Oddly enough is was easy and it was very difficult at the
same time. It’s was easy recalling many of our conversations and since I had
Cola put some of his thoughts on tape I was able to have exact quotes. The
difficult part was figuring out how much to write. I wanted to write enough so
people got a real sense of him and our friendship, but not so much that it
became boring with all of the banter that took place between us. Also, deciding
what to keep and what to throw out was hard because I loved every minute we
spent together. Editing and organizing the book was harder that I
expected.
Q: What do you hope that readers will get out of the book?
A: I hope they get an appreciation for a man who came from
being a janitor to someone who was so loved and respected in his community,
which they reelected as their representative for 36 years. And I hope people
get a sense of what a true representative should be. Understand what being
self-reliant and being responsible for yourself and your actions, while not
easy provides a sense of self worth and pride in yourself. While Cola earned
respect and power at the state house over his long tenure, he never forgot he
had 5000 bosses back home and that he answered to them, not the governor, party
leaders or lobbyists. Also, I hope people learn to take politics seriously and
don’t go to the polls and just vote for someone because you recognize their name
or because they seem nice. Know what they stand for and be an informed voter.
Above all else, take time to think for yourself, put down your damn cell phones
and computers once in a while and take the time to just “think.” Don’t form
your opinions from media headlines or 5 second sound bites or peer pressure; be
your own person.
Q: What were your favorite parts and least favorite parts of writing
the book?
A: My favorite part of writing a book is finally holding it
in your hands and knowing that you set a goal and achieved it. My least
favorite part is having to go over and over and over it to make sure every
sentence says exactly what it is you are trying to communicate. Editing is a
necessary pain in the butt.
Q: Do you have any other books in you that you will write?
A: Lord no, not at this time. It only took me 10 years to
write this one; but I am the type of person who never says never! Who knows for
sure what the future holds.
Q: Do you have any advice or pieces of knowledge that you would like to
pass on to aspiring authors?
A: Write about something you like, your passions, your
thoughts; it makes the whole experience easier. If you are not writing for a
living, write for fun and enjoyment it should never be a chore and know why you
are writing it. Why do you want others to read it? And, never give up, just
give it a rest if you need to and then go back at it. Forcing your book to
completion could degrade the quality. If you don’t have to meet a deadline,
then relax. Reaching a goal is not usually something that falls in your lap you
have to earn it.
Q: Where can readers find the book? The book is available through
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Man-His-Kingdom-John-LaBarge/dp/1984080148/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523807779&sr=8-1&keywords=the+man+in+his+kingdom
I am also hoping that
some local book stores in VT will carry the book as well.
Bio: John is a third generation Vermonter born and raised in
Burlington Vermont. After his marriage he and his wife
Kitty, they moved to the Lake
Champlain Islands
where they raised three children. While their children have since grown and
left the state John and Kitty still reside in the Islands.
Over the years, John worked in a corporate setting for sixteen years then he
and Kitty started their own small business in South Hero, Vermont and ran it for 24 years. During that
time, he was elected as the state representative to the Vermont House from Grand Isle
County and served in the
legislature for ten years. While a legislator, he served as House Minority Whip
for four years, and then served as House Majority Leader for two years before
retiring his seat. He then worked fifteen years with the Vermont Agency of
Transportation before retiring. John has always been interested in writing but
this is his first published work.
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