What I’m Thinking: The Early Days of Television and John Barbour

Recently, author John Barbour posted a link to an article about him and his entertaining memoir, Your Mother’s Not a Virgin: The Bumpy Life and Times of the Canadian Dropout Who Changed the Face of American TV and I was thrilled to see that someone gave John and his book the attention it deserved. Full disclosure: I helped John with his book for a couple of years before it finally found a publisher willing to bring the 700-page book to readers. Publishers are hesitant to publish such tomes anymore since it’s about the fear of no return on a hefty investment. Thankfully, TrineDay, yes, the publisher that gives voice to controversial topics that are often dismissed, appreciated John’s story enough to invest in it. When John initially sent me the manuscript to edit, he made it clear that all the stories he wrote must remain. Nothing was to be cut. I was concerned since, again, I knew the parameters most publishers have. Yet, it was John’s story and I understand why he felt as strongly as he did. As interesting as his stories are about having interviewed or worked with Jane Fonda, Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope Johnny Carson, Mohammed Ali and so many, many more, I appreciated the early chapters about when John was growing up in Canada and having an alcoholic mother and absent father. As I was reading/editing his work, I was amazed at the resilience of this young boy. The fact that he escaped such an abusive situation and eventually became a five-time Emmy-award winning Godfather of Reality TV is astounding. The fact that he was a high-school dropout and came to America with high hopes of making it here before being deported back to Canada is also astounding. Yet, at 86 years of age, he now lives in Las Vegas and has so much to share about what he’s experienced not only in the early stages of television but having written and directed The Garrison Tapes and The American Media and the Second Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Without a doubt, seeking publicity is a challenge in today’s world where there are far more than the three major TV stations that had once been, as well as streaming, and books yearning for attention, but for anyone desiring to be entertained and enlightened about the early days of TV and one man’s ability to overcome so many obstacles, Your Mother’s Not a Virgin! is something to consider.

Curious? Check out his website: http://www.johnbarboursworld.com/ In addition, check out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/johnbarboursworld And, no, John, who has become a good friend of mine, didn’t ask me to write this blog. I was actually planning on writing about something else altogether, but once I saw the article from the Reno newspaper, I thought, why, of course, I, too, can let readers know about this fascinating book, one that would make a great gift for anyone interested in a good story with numerous revelations.