Blanco’s life to be told in children’s book
Published 10:35 am Sunday, November 13, 2022
- Paul Schexnayder looks at a display of former Governor Kathleen Blanco. Schexnayder is in the process of finishing a non-fiction children's book about Blanco's life and will be reading it during a special event Thursday.
A recent grant allowed local artist Paul Schexnayder to take a deep dive into the life of New Iberia native and former Governor Kathleen Blanco and turn what he discovered into a children’s book.
Schexnayder received an ArtSpark grant that allowed him to hire two editors to write a non-fiction children’s story on the life of Blanco, who Schexnayder said he knew personally.
For Schexnayder, who owns an art gallery and has previously produced children’s books in the past, the project was a unique one that he said took him out of his comfort zone.
“Part of the award was to get artists to step outside of themselves, and that was definitely the case for me,” he said. “I’ve done fiction books before that are more creative; this was hard to do because you’re writing about a person you kind of know.”
Taking the life of one of the most prominent Louisiana politicians and translating into a book for children was a special kind of challenge.
“It’s for children but it’s about politics,” he said. “You have to explain what a public service commissioner does, stuff like that.”
Schexnayder said he also undertook a lot of research for the project, including talking with family members of Blanco as well as people who worked with her after she was governor.
One of Schexnayder’s strategies for the book was to try and add a personal touch to Blanco, he said.
“When she moved to Mount Carmel Academy she started reading letters to the editor in the newspaper, which she loved,” he said. “She loved to hear people’s concerns, and it went that way in her career and that’s what I honed in on.”
Working with editors was an important part of the process, with the last round of edits happening just a month ago.
The project will also culminate in an event on Thursday at the Bayou Teche Museum celebrating the life of Blanco. Schexnayder said he will give a reading of his book, and will also be accompanied by special guests who will share memories of the late governor.
The event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Blanco exhibit will also be open during New Iberia Art Walk, which is slated to take place Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
