Paul Patton to Participate in the Kentucky Book Festival with “The Coal Miner who Became Governor”

August 28, 2023

What will Kentucky Book Festival visitors find on your table?
“The Coal Miner who became Governor” is a personal memoir of my life with an emphasis on my time as Governor of Kentucky. It was written by me with the assistance of University of Kentucky oral historian Jeffery Suchonek.

Whom do you invite to stop by? Who will benefit from reading your book?
All who are interested in my life or politics on a personal basis.

Could you please tell us something curious about you and/or your book?
I was a coal mine owner, a product of eastern Kentucky and a local elected official in eastern Kentucky, all three descriptions not having a good reputation in Kentucky.

Is this your first time participating in Kentucky Book Festival? If yes – what are you looking forward to the most? If you’ve participated before – what was your favorite experience at the Festival?
This will be my first time participating in the Kentucky Book Festival. I have been a private writer of essays (not for publication, just my personal desire to express my views on a variety of issues.) It has been my goal to become someone who would write something important enough for someone to want to read.

Paul E. Patton served as the fifty-ninth governor of Kentucky, from 1995 to 2003. Born in Fallsburg, KY, he had a humble upbringing that held few clues about his future as one of the most prominent politicians in the history of the state. In The Coal Miner Who Became Governor, Patton, along with Jeffrey S. Suchanek, details his personal, professional, and political life in Kentucky, starting with his career in the coal industry.