The Books of Ron Hughart

A weekend in Weedpatch may not seem like such a great deal, but for Exeter resident Ron Hughart it's another significant step in his increasing notoriety as a published author.

From 8 a.m. to at least 3 p.m. this Saturday, Hughart will be signing copies of his "The Place Beyond The Dust Bowl" at a gathering in the aptly named community of Weedpatch, eight and one-half miles south of Bakersfield not far from Lamont.

Hughart, a lieutenant with the Woodlake Police Department, will be part of the annual so-called "Okie Festival," a celebration of the Oklahomans and others who migrated in mass to escape the ravages of the Dust Bowl. The proud Okies and those who admire the fortitude and tenacity of the people John Steinbeck immortalized in "The Grapes of Wrath," will gather at Sunset School on Sunset Avenue in Weedpatch. The site is adjacent to where a farm labor camp was home for hundreds, if not thousands of Okie immigrants. "The Place Beyond the Dust Bowl" is Hughart's account of life following the migration to California and has earned him considerable acclaim. The book, published by Bear State Books, an Exeter publishing company specializing in historical based writings, has found its way to the shelves of the National John Steinbeck Museum. The book is in its second printing and has caught the attention of educators, some of whom reportedly are considering it as part of cirriculum, although nothing is official yet.

Hughart expects his followup book to be released in several months. He says that book goes into more detail of some "facts of life" and methods of survival his family and others endured. The first chapter, he says, details the finer points of "ditch bank camping." He says giving first-hand accounts of such adventures has made him even more appreciate the hardships his family and others endured before and after their arrival to California.

While Hughart enjoys the attention his post Dust Bowl accounts has garnered, he is quick to point out that his "first" published work, really is his second book. That work, entitled "The Last Day of the Season from a Baseball's Point of View" was drafted in 1974 as a result of a commitment to read a children's story to a class of youngsters. He penned the story during a long lunch hour in college.

The story is about a physically handicapped boy, named Johnny, who eventually gains respect by helping his team win a championship. The story is told by Hardhead, a baseball. On the first page Hardhead sets the stage by noting "This is my story about how Johnny, a first base player for the Kentwood Tigers, and Max a pitcher for the Kentwood Bears became friends." The story was a hit with the kids and eventually a manuscript found its way to the attention of Children's Press, a large publisher of children's books at that time. But Hughart turned down the publishers' requirement that the illustrations, commissioned to Hughwart's close friend Ken Kramer be replaced. Hughart had told Kramer that if the book were to be pubilished it would be with his art work. The book was not published because Hughart would not back off his promise to Kramer. Subsequently Hughart mentioned his prior work to his publisher Chris Brewer, aka Bear State Books. In about three weeks "The Last Day of the Season..." was published. His success with Beyond the Dust Bowl of course was a factor in getting his "first" work published 29 years after penning the children's story.

And guess what pholks, Kramer's illustrations are on each of the 24 pages. While the extent of Hughart's success with "The Place Beyond the Dust Bowl" and its sequel, seem very promising, he admits the pride of his chlildren's story is just as satisfying. The last day of the season is available at the Book Garden in Exeter, Borders Books and B. Dalton Booksellers. A pretty good deal for about $10.

And, Ron will have both books available in Weedpatch.

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