The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball
by Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis
Biography / Golf / Space Travel
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Pages: 202
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
SYNOPSIS
In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball.
During his Apollo 14 moonwalk, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries.
Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine.
Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship?
The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astronaut, and the Golf Ball, a story of two extraordinary men and their lasting friendship. The book offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of America’s space program at its pinnacle and shows the ordinary people who supported one of the nation’s most monumental scientific endeavors.
Praise for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball:
It’s perfect!! Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos. —Laura Shepard, Daughter of Alan Shepard
Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the “little people” who made it happen. We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light – in Shepard’s high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed. —Charlie Duke, Apollo Astronaut
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BOOK TRAILER
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis grew up in the 1960s in the shadow of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center and married in 1982. They have three children and five grandchildren. The couple —with many other community members — are co-owners of Brazos Bookstore, an independent bookseller. As children of NASA scientists, Barbara and Ed had front-row seats to the development of the space program and the community built around it on rural cow pastures near Webster, Texas.
Barbara Radnofsky is a writer, mediator, teacher, and lawyer. She’s the author of A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment, a nonpartisan explanation of U.S. constitutional impeachment history and practice.
Ed Supkis MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac anesthesia. He served as Director of Quality Assurance for the Division of Anesthesiology and as Medical Director of Respiratory Care for the Division of Surgery and Anesthesiology.
Stoney Creek Publishing
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REVIEW
What an incredibly fascinating subject matter and storytelling technique!
Of the three title “characters”, the golf ball was the one that initially attracted me to this book. It’s my favorite game to play and to watch on television or in person. But while reading it, I also became engrossed with the exploits of the first American in space Alan Shepard, the endeavors of the Navy veteran Carlos Villagomez, and the close personal relationship they’d built through the years. By the end of the book, I am convinced that the golf ball the astronaut gave the barber did actually fly to the moon.
***
The authors drew me in with the strong evidence of their extensive research and interviews. Their use of the plural pronoun “we” in the narration gave me a unique reading experience. I have read many works written by dual-author collaborators. This is the first time I have encountered the storytellers using it as a point-of-view. While it is in the first person to mean Ms. Radnofsky and Mr. Supkis, the “we”, at various points, includes the reader in the narrative. Part of the story. Especially those who witnessed the historical events in space as they unfolded. As a voracious reader, I appreciate the distinctly novel approach.
***
Overall, I enjoyed this book bar for some inconsistencies in the POVs (there were several I’s and instances of referring to the authors in the third-person) and multiple repetitions of the same quotes and anecdotes.
I highly recommend this engaging title for those who seek both entertainment and education in their reading materials. The exhaustive list of references and acknowledgments at the back of the book serves as a testament to the hard work of the authors.
Thanks to Lone Star Lit for including my blog in the campaign to share this story with avid readers.
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As a little girl growing up during the Civil War, Katharine Lee Bates grew up to become a poet, professor, and social activist. She not only wrote “America the Beautiful” but gave this anthem to America as a gift. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a suffragist who stood up for a woman’s right to vote and lived to cast her ballot in presidential elections, Katharine believed in the power of words to make a difference. In “America the Beautiful,” her vision of the nation as a great family, united from sea to shining sea, continues to uplift and inspire us all.
Touching on major events that happened during the lifetime of Miss Bates, from the Civil War to Lincoln Assassination to women’s suffrage, this book teaches history to children in a way that appeals as well as informs. My son was particularly shocked upon learning that there was a time when women didn’t have the right to vote. His reaction made me think that girls would be inspired by Miss Bates even more and all kids who read this would seek to follow in her footsteps in speaking up for women and the poor, and advocating for peace in the US and the world.
Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of eight picture book biographies with a ninth due in 2021.
Maida Malby 
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