Author's Corner

Shreveport native Brandon K. Gauthier completed his doctorate in Modern History at Fordham University. He is the Director of Global Education at The Derryfield School and an Adjunct Professor at Fordham. He lives in Concord, New Hampshire, with his wife and two daughters. SB Magazine recently talked with him about the release of his first book, Before Evil: Young Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, and Kim.

I’ve always been a huge history buff from a very young age. My father would take me on a history trip once a year. There used to be an antique bookstore next to Strawn’s (the Gauthier family business) which has now been folded into King’s Antiques. I loved as a kid going into that antique bookstore and wanting all those books. My dad would bring me books from there all the time, bring me history books and that was super special. That’s the very earliest origins of me thinking about why people write books.

In 1995, Teddy Allen, for his book Blue Plate Special had the cover photo taken at Strawn’s. I was enthralled by that. I was 11 years old. And I thought, “Wow, what is it like to write a book?” I think Teddy Allen at that time was the first real writer I knew of—someone who is obviously smart but also a relatable person. It was the recognition that ‘real people’ write books.

Sister Sharon our religion teacher was really lovely, and she helped me think about the meaning of my actions to inspire me to want to be a good person. I don’t think I was an especially brilliant or strong writer but I remember Ms. Yates being a wonderful English teacher. And teaching me, you know, really, really teaching me, how to write and what that means. My senior year I discovered the ability to use writing as a means of translating my passion for the stories of real people. The principal was Ms. Whited. It was, an important formative moment of my life in terms of learning to write but also being in an environment that is caring and loving and is ideally teaching you to be caring and loving.

There’s no one answer on that. I would say more contemporary history would be from the 1500s onwards. Others might say the last hundred years.

It took me three and a half years. You do one chapter, maybe every two or three months, and you end up with 18 chapters. So that’s the long road, but I feel very energized because I I believe deeply that it’s profoundly important.

The book is meant to be very accessible to people of all backgrounds. The language of the book itself is more colloquial; the introduction is more academic. I try to write in a way that I think is going to be very engaging, blending storytelling with a lot of research which is reflected in the citations, but you know history must pop, it must be really interesting. And if it is boring your you are making a grave mistake because history is about the meaning of reality. History is about trying to derive meaning from the experiences of men, and what is the meaning of this existence. I think a major problem with historians and academics is they

Before Evil speak in a way which is not engaging to the vast majority of people, and they fail, as a result, to realize the larger importance of what it is they have to say. I don’t think that good historical scholarship is talking to only 300 other professors. How is this important for BY ELIZABETH DEAL someone, whether they be a Harvard scholar, or whether they hreveport native Brandon K. Gauthier completed his doc have a blue-collar job? The book for me is about the notion of the humanity of inhumanity. Where do these men come from? What is the human story? But something I feel really strongly about is trying to offer a message that is rooted in the antithesis or an antidote to what they were. To encourage human beings to see a recently talked with him about the release of his first book, more complex story and to encourage individuals to recognize that love and mercy is our only salvation from tyranny.

Throughout the process of doing my dissertation I focused on the history of the United States, North Korea. And kind of the driving idea of what I learned in graduate school is one of the biggest reasons why things happen the way they happen is because of ideas. It’s the way that we see the world, and so, when I studied business) which has now been folded into King’s Antiques. I loved the United States and North Korea, I had the opportunity to think as a kid going into that antique bookstore and wanting all those a lot about North Korean dictators and I started to think “What’s it like to be a North Korean dictator? Do they wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and think “I’m a horrible person who does horrible things.”

In 1995, Teddy Allen, for his book Blue Plate Special had the cover photo taken at Strawn’s. I was enthralled by that. I was 11 years old. And I thought, “Wow, what is it like to write a book?” I think Teddy Allen at that time was the first real writer I knew of—someone who is obviously smart but also a relatable person. It was the recognition that ‘real people’ write books.

Sister Sharon our religion teacher was really lovely, and she helped me think about the meaning of my actions to inspire me to want to be a good person. I don’t think I was an especially brilliant or strong writer but I remember Ms. Yates being a wonderful English teacher. And teaching me, you know, really, really teaching me, how to write and what that means. My senior year I discovered the ability to use writing as a means of translating my passion for the stories of real people. The principal was Ms. Whited. It was, an important formative moment of my life in terms of learning to write but also being in an environment that is caring and loving and is ideally teaching you to be caring and loving.

There’s no one answer on that. I would say more contemporary history would be from the 1500s onwards. Others might say the last hundred years.

It took me three and a half years. You do one chapter, maybe every two or three months, and you end up with 18 chapters. So that’s the long road, but I feel very energized because I I believe deeply that it’s profoundly important.

The book is meant to be very accessible to people of all backgrounds. The language of the book itself is more colloquial; the introduction is more academic. I try to write in a way that I think is going to be very engaging, blending storytelling with a lot of research which is reflected in the citations, but you know history must pop, it must be really interesting. And if it is boring your you are making a grave mistake because history is about the meaning of reality. History is about trying to derive meaning from the experiences of men, and what is the meaning of this existence. I think a major problem with historians and academics is they speak in a way which is not engaging to the vast majority of people, and they fail, as a result, to realize the larger importance of what it is they have to say. I don’t think that good historical scholarship is talking to only 300 other professors. How is this important for someone, whether they be a Harvard scholar, or whether they have a blue-collar job? The book for me is about the notion of the humanity of inhumanity. Where do these men come from? What is the human story? But something I feel really strongly about is trying to offer a message that is rooted in the antithesis or an antidote to what they were. To encourage human beings to see a more complex story and to encourage individuals to recognize that love and mercy is our only salvation from tyranny.

Throughout the process of doing my dissertation I focused on the history of the United States, North Korea. And kind of the driving idea of what I learned in graduate school is one of the biggest reasons why things happen the way they happen is because of ideas. It’s the way that we see the world, and so, when I studied the United States and North Korea, I had the opportunity to think a lot about North Korean dictators and I started to think “What’s it like to be a North Korean dictator? Do they wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and think “I’m a horrible person who does horrible things.”

I really struggle with the fact that people who do really awful things are human beings. These are still homo sapiens. A lot of times you have people who commit crimes go to prison—a serial killer or sadist who will say “I know this is wrong, but this is just who I am and I’m going do it anyway.” Come what may, that’s not the story of these dictators. The story of these dictators is one of ideas and ideological fanaticism—they believe what they’re doing is right. The power of ideas can blind us from not being able to recognize what is inherently wrong or evil. We might see someone doing something terribly unethical and we wonder how they can’t see that this is wrong. The story is one that I think is a bit disturbing because it’s not about just only trauma or being born as evil and predetermined to do these terrible things. It’s about kids who want to make the world a better place. They’re all huge readers and become obsessed with ideas and they view themselves through this heroic lens. The story of crimes against humanity and evil is a human story. It’s about the humanity of inhumanity and now we’re getting to an uncomfortable place because nobody wants to examine the story of murderers and dictators. We see these men who thought what they were doing was right. It’s called Before Evil because it returns to the time in their life before they were evil, the story of their childhoods. The larger purpose is to encourage readers to recognize what happens when we lose empathy for others. When the ends justify the means that’s how we ourselves become evil, but very rarely do people realize it. Those who are doing terrible things think they’re right. Kim Jong-un would say “I’m doing what I have what has to be done for the sake of my country and you don’t understand it, but I do.” In carrying out the Holocaust and murdering six million Jewish men and women and children, Hitler doesn’t do it because he believes it’s wrong. Somehow, in his warped view of the world, he believes it’s right.

I will say directly, I think we must humanize the most inhumane, because they are in fact human beings. If we don’t humanize them, it suggests that their actions aren’t explicable. If we don’t humanize the perpetrators of that evil we lose sight of how human beings can do these things, whether it be as a result of mental health influences. I don’t think that’s necessarily true for these dictators at all, they think they’re quite rational. Their actions are based on an ideological fanaticism. The reason why we should humanize the inhumane is because we care so much about what happens to their victims. Why should we be talking about the fact that Hitler loved his mother? Who cares? Shouldn’t we be talking about the Holocaust? It’s because we care so much about the Holocaust that we seek to understand the humanity of the person who did it. The fact that Benito Mussolini loved Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables as a kid. Does it really matter that a 10-year-old Mussolini was really into Victor Hugo? I argue this is an important part of his life. He would become a fascist dictator, but there’s a time in his life, he really believes he’s going to fight poverty that he believes he’s going to end. It doesn’t start with a fascist dictator who wants to be a war criminal; it starts with a little boy reading about poverty. Why should we be taking the time to humanize Mao Zedong? He was responsible for the death of 45 million people. I’ve

been asked, “Why should we care that he liked to read a classic things are human beings. These are still homo sapiens. A lot of novels as a kid? Should we not be talking about the victims of his crimes?” We can distinguish ourselves by trying to humanize and killer or sadist who will say “I know this is wrong, but this is just empathize with even the worst among us, even if we hold them accountable. Nothing we do in that regard can ever diminish or the story of these dictators. The story of these dictators is one excuse their evil. That is the path to being different but that’s hard. But to romanticize or try to introduce any element of description that diminishes their evil—that’s inherently wrong. The power of ideas can blind us from not being able to recognize If you can show empathy or compassion for those who least deserve it, that doesn’t mean that they’re not held accountable. The right to be compassionate doesn’t mean that someone is not going to be punished. predetermined to do these terrible things. It’s about kids who want to make the world a better place. They’re all huge readers But we try to be what they were not capable of being, which is individuals who not only struggle against what’s wrong, but individuals who are capable of love and mercy.

The story of crimes against humanity and evil is a human story. I think about history through that lens of what it means to be a person. It’s hard to be a person. It’s hard to be a human being. an uncomfortable place because nobody wants to examine the What also keeps me up at night, is something that Ronald Reagan said in his evil empire speech in 1983. He was quoting CS Lewis, what they were doing was right. It’s called but that the worst evil that plays out doesn’t happen only in concentration camps, where we see its end result. Some of the worst evil that occurs happens in warm offices with men who are very well dressed, who don’t have to yell. They speak very quietly. The larger purpose is to encourage readers to recognize what They do paperwork and sign orders that send many people to miserable circumstances where they’re going to suffer. And that is evil, because those individuals are totally removed from that do people realize it. Those who are doing terrible things think suffering, and they don’t feel the pain of others. So I can’t get over it, I never will. I wrote a book about it for that reason. How do Kim Jong-un would say “I’m doing what I have what has to be people become that person, but how can we strive to be different, and how can we try to teach kids?

In working with kids, I feel it in my gut, I really do, day after day, you have to be willing to stand up for what is right. We should believes it’s wrong. Somehow, in his warped view of the world, he challenge things that we find to be wrong, but we also have to be good people. I realize that the worst moments of my life were the moments when I did not consider the harm that my actions caused, did not consider the pain that I could cause someone else. So my role as an educator is to try to inspire kids to be empathetic and to care about other people, and this book is an effort to grapple with some of the very worst things that have ever happened. Some of the most evil people who have ever lived. For the larger purpose it be as a result of mental health influences. I don’t think that’s of encouraging the opposite: empathy. necessarily true for these dictators at all, they think they’re quite Shreveport is my home—you know it will always be my home. I really appreciate and respect SB Magazine and it’s really fun The reason why we should humanize the inhumane is because we to be able to share this with the community. Thank you for the opportunity. we be talking about the fact that Hitler loved his mother? Who The fact that Benito Mussolini loved Victor Hugo’s really into Victor Hugo? I argue this is an important part of his life. He would become a fascist dictator, but there’s a time in his life, been asked, “Why should we care that he liked to read a classic novels as a kid? Should we not be talking about the victims of his crimes?” We can distinguish ourselves by trying to humanize and empathize with even the worst among us, even if we hold them accountable. Nothing we do in that regard can ever diminish or excuse their evil. That is the path to being different but that’s hard. But to romanticize or try to introduce any element of description that diminishes their evil—that’s inherently wrong. If you can show empathy or compassion for those who least deserve it, that doesn’t mean that they’re not held accountable. The right to be compassionate doesn’t mean that someone is not going to be punished. But we try to be what they were not capable of being, which is individuals who not only struggle against what’s wrong, but individuals who are capable of love and mercy.

I think about history through that lens of what it means to be a person. It’s hard to be a person. It’s hard to be a human being. What also keeps me up at night, is something that Ronald Reagan said in his evil empire speech in 1983. He was quoting CS Lewis, but that the worst evil that plays out doesn’t happen only in concentration camps, where we see its end result. Some of the worst evil that occurs happens in warm offices with men who are very well dressed, who don’t have to yell. They speak very quietly. They do paperwork and sign orders that send many people to miserable circumstances where they’re going to suffer. And that is evil, because those individuals are totally removed from that suffering, and they don’t feel the pain of others. So I can’t get over it, I never will. I wrote a book about it for that reason. How do people become that person, but how can we strive to be different, and how can we try to teach kids?

In working with kids, I feel it in my gut, I really do, day after day, you have to be willing to stand up for what is right. We should challenge things that we find to be wrong, but we also have to be good people. I realize that the worst moments of my life were the moments when I did not consider the harm that my actions caused, did not consider the pain that I could cause someone else. So my role as an educator is to try to inspire kids to be empathetic and to care about other people, and this book is an effort to grapple with some of the very worst things that have ever happened. Some of the most evil people who have ever lived. For the larger purpose of encouraging the opposite: empathy. Shreveport is my home—you know it will always be my home. I really appreciate and respect SB Magazine and it’s really fun to be able to share this with the community. Thank you for the opportunity.

Book Reading and Signing with author