Local author shares his work

By Jason Gabak
Editor

When the chance to share his book at Maxwell library came up, Camillus based author Dave Dube was excited by the prospect.

Dube is the author of “PhD (A Time Traveler’s Search For Bacon).”

“I asked if the library was ever interested in books by local authors,” Dube said. “They looked at it and now it is part of the Onondaga County library system. They asked me if I would be interested in doing something and talking about my book and I thought it was a great idea.”

The book is the product of a good deal of research into science, particularly quantum physics and the author’s own roots.

These influences are filtered through Dube’s son, who serves as the main character in the book.

The character, as the title implies, has a deep passion for science and for bacon.

He goes on to explore 1800s France.

In writing the book, Dube sought to create something that would give his son a connection to his family heritage.

“My parents never knew my son,” Dube said. “I have some cousins in Florida that we don’t really see too often. My wife has a large family and my son has a good connection with them.”

Considering family, Dube began research into his own lineage with the intention of being able to pass a family tree on to his son, giving him a sense of roots and connection to his heritage.

Dube said the tree has been traced as far back at the 1600s to a small village in France.

“We came close to visiting once when we were in the Netherlands,” Dube said. “But it was far away from where we were and no one from our family is there anymore.”

Along with researching his own family, Dube read all he could on quantum physics, exploring the time travel aspect of the book.

“I find that really interesting,” Dube said. “I   read a lot of history, a lot about the French Revolution and I learned a lot. I also read a lot about quantum physics. I spent about four years reading all I could and taking notes.”

Dube said he also read a lot of other works as he prepared to tackle his first book.

“I read the 100 best books of all time list,” Dube said. “I never took a class on writing or anything. But I read a lot, Ellison, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Dickens. I’m not comparing myself to them, but it was a big help to read those books and learn how they wrote and look at how they did their work and selecting the right words to express the ideas you have.”

Dube credits the Onondaga library system and the libraries at Syracuse University as important resources that helped him in his research.

He also drew inspiration from his surroundings, setting some of the book in the western part of Onondaga County.

When the book was complete, Dube had a piece he could pass on to his son.

“It is a living document,” Dube said. “It starts with a family tree and one day when he gets married and has kids of his own it is something he can add on to.”

Now a teenager, Dube said his son seems impressed with the book, which is so much focused on him.

“It is hard to tell,” Dube said. “He seems to like it. He is reading it for the second time so I think that is a good sign.”

Dube said he has a few ideas for other piece she plans to work on, including a continuation of his first book which will explore the other side of his family tree.

While it is a personal book, Dube hopes it can inspire others to learn more about their own history.

“I hope people can enjoy it,” Dube said. “I hope it might make people look at their own family history and maybe they will want to learn a little more about where they came from.”

For more information visit lulu.com or smashwords.com.