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Pat Hickey on new collection of Nevadans' reflections on the afterlife; writing a memoir for his wife
Summary
On Washoe County's Washoe Live podcast, Pat Hickey, a Nevada legislator and longtime columnist, discussed his book project collecting Nevada voices about the afterlife and said he is writing a separate memoir about his wife as the couple approaches their 50th anniversary.
On Washoe County's Washoe Live podcast, Pat Hickey, a Nevada legislator and longtime columnist, said he is publishing a book that collects interviews with Nevadans about the afterlife and is writing a separate memoir focused on his wife as they approach their 50th wedding anniversary.
Hickey, speaking with Washoe County Communications Director Nancy Noonhagen and Communications Manager Bethany Drysdale, described the book of interviews — which he referred to as work about "the hereafter" — as a series of personal reflections from a broad cross section of people in Nevada. He told the hosts, "I am doing a book about my wife. We're not quite sure what to call it yet. It may just be Myunghee because she's Korean, or it may be Myunghee her American life," and added the new book is a personal project written "for only one person" — his wife.
Why it matters: Hickey said the interview collection gathers perspectives from well-known and ordinary Nevadans, and he framed the project as both a local portrait and a reflection on mortality. He told the hosts that nearly every person he interviewed expressed hope that people of different faiths or beliefs might be included in whatever comes after life.
Details from the conversation: Hickey said he compiled interviews with a wide range of Nevada figures and described conversations with public figures including Mike Tyson, Harry Reid, Elaine Wynn and others; he also recounted interviews with journalists and longtime state residents. He said the project grew out of his curiosity about the afterlife and personal experiences that left him "always curious about it." He said his Reno Gazette-Journal column (RGJ) led to the project and that his master's degree from the Reynolds School of Journalism helped shape his approach.
On his personal memoir for his wife, Hickey described a prolonged, public-spirited courtship and said he and his wife exchanged tapes and letters during a two-year engagement. He said the couple is nearing 50 years together: "And we are coming up on 50 years, so that's something I'm really, really happy to look back upon." He also discussed family arrangements: the couple have four children, two of whom live in Nevada and two in Atlanta, and he said his 100-year-old father, a World War II veteran, lived with them until he was 100.
Hickey discussed the variety of viewpoints in his interview collection, saying that even those with strong beliefs were generally "embracing" of other perspectives. He recounted that many interviewees who identified as religious nonetheless hoped to see people of other faiths in whatever follows life. He also described several individual interviews as "moving," including conversations with a man who spent decades on death row and later was released, and with longtime public relations executive Peter Knott, who had a serious battle with cancer that Hickey said transformed his outlook.
What Hickey said about his writing process and plans: He told the hosts he had paused his regular column to focus on writing the memoir for his wife and called the book "a love letter" that lets him revisit memories with his partner. He said the couple plan to travel to Bali, Korea and Montana in the coming year and that the memoir-writing often involves extended conversations about specific chapters.
Context and limits: The podcast is an interview and does not represent a formal government action. Hickey presented recollections and characterizations of interviews and people he has spoken with; claims about others' beliefs and experiences are reported as his accounts of those interviews. He referenced several public figures by name; the interviewees' full perspectives and the final wording in Hickey's book were not provided in the podcast recording.
Looking ahead: Hickey said he is taking a brief break from his column to work on the personal memoir and continued reporting on the interview collection. He described the books as reflections on Nevada life and memory as well as personal love and family stories.
