Debra “Debbie” Goodrich’s newest book, “From the Reservation to Washington: The Rise of Charles Curtis,” focuses on the life of Chares Curtis, the first person of color to serve as the United States’ vice president from 1929-1933 under President Herbert Hoover.
Published in October, Goodrich’s 264-page, 13-chapter book, follows the chronology of Curtis’ life.
When she moved to Kansas 30 years ago, Goodrich said she got to know Topeka and the community by walking through one of its cemeteries.
“Topeka Cemetery is the resting place of vice-president Charles Curtis. I’d never heard of him and found out he was an enrolled Kaw Indian, or the Kansas Indians, and I’ve just been fascinated by him ever since. He became a footnote in American history, and he really should be more,” she said.
The fact Curtis is a self-made man is part of what caught Goodrich’s attention.
“He was mixed blood. His mother was French and Kaw, and his father was this white European, actually descended from the pilgrims. When he was running for office, a lot of hay was made with that, that he was uniquely American being descended from both pilgrim and Indian,” Goodrich, of Ararat, said.
Goodrich said Curtis, who had very little formal education, became an attorney, a Kansas Congressman, and the first Senate Majority leader before becoming vice-president.
“It’s just a remarkable career,” she said.
Goodrich said she’s been thinking about writing this book for over 20 years but had other projects she needed to finish first. She got the contract with Rowman & Littlefield, a publishing house, two years ago.
“So, the hardcore writing has been within the last two years. I met with one of their editors at a conference and she really liked the idea and pitched it to their staff,” she said.
While Goodrich loved the topic, she said the writing process was hard.
“I love research, but writing is hard. You have to think hard, you have to focus, organize. I had excellent first readers who really helped me. One of those was my sister. I would write, and send her a chapter to read, and she’s like, ‘This is boring. I don’t know why you put this in there.’ She was a great first reader,” Goodrich said.
Writing the book taught Goodrich that she could still accomplish a difficult task, with “an incredible support network that made it all possible,” she added.
Throughout writing her book, Goodrich said her admiration for Curtis never waned.
“He’s a remarkable man. It’s not my job to make people like him, but they need to know who he was,” she said.
Goodrich credits her writing ability to her Blue Ridge Elementary School teacher Maxine Smith and her Patrick County High School (PCHS) journalism teacher Jackie Beeler.
“Those two women were the equivalent of a college degree in writing,” she said.
Goodrich is also the co-author of three books and the sole author of two others. She’s also been involved in documentary production and script writing and wrote for “The Enterprise” for three years while attending PCHS.
Goodrich’s book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and other bookstores across the country.
