Paul Houde is so fascinated by the United States that he once recreated OJ Simpson’s infamous escape route in a Bronco car identical to the former NFL player’s.
That’s not all.
In the book Paul in all his states, Notebooks of America, this history buff also recounts his visit to the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, his visit to the testing site of the first atomic bomb, and his following The Final Steps by JFK.
“In New Orleans, we found a survivor who lost his granddaughter and his wife during Hurricane Katrina. He told us about that night and there was one of those silences…” recalls the host, who travels to our southern neighbors every year.
Meeting the daughter of Rodney King (the black man who was almost beaten to death by police officers) also upset him.
Since childhood
Paul Houde’s fascination with the United States, which he reveals in detail in his book, dates back to his childhood, when his family in Vermont was able to receive televisions thanks to the “ear” antenna extension.
“For us it has always been a big, mysterious country. We followed everything closely and dreamed about the United States,” he says.
“Every year I take a big trip to the Pacific. I have a real passion for road trips. I love going to the United States. It distracts me from driving. I can do this for 12 hours,” explains the main participant.
No judgement
Assisted in writing by Nicolas Bertrand, co-author and professor of philosophy at Montmorency College, Paul Houde says he is proud of his Carnets d’Amérique, his first book in his career.
“I don’t write editorials and I don’t judge Americans or the places I’ve been,” he insists. I’ll just tell you what I saw. Even in the ugly, I find things that fascinate me.”
The radio host’s favorites? Route 1 in California, which runs spectacularly along the sea, the city of Washington full of extraordinary museums, the moving New Orleans and the place where the test of the first atomic exhibition took place.
– Paul Houde will be at the Montreal Book Fair at booth 2725 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
– An activity not to be missed at the Montreal Book Fair today: The author of “Paul in Quebec” and other stories about Paul, popular Quebec cartoonist Michel Rabagliati, is the guest of this major interview moderated by Dominic Tardif. He will particularly talk about his latest book, Rose à l’île, with which he delves into the world of graphic novels for the first time. At the Agora at 2:15 p.m.