John David Autin

Husband. Father. Son.

Brother. Uncle. Friend.

Wordsmith. Artist. Author.

Parkinson Defiant.

Louisiana Cajun by birth, John David Autin enjoyed a distinguished career with the U.S. Department of Commerce. During his 33 years there, he authored A Basic Guide to Exporting and an article “The History of International Trade” for Colliers Encyclopedia.

In 2004, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which led to his retirement five years later.

There is nothing like a progressive neurological disease to bring clarity to one’s purposes.

According to Mr. Autin, it makes you realize that concerns about vanity are just another form of vanity. When you are tallying the worth of your whole life, you will search car seats and sofa cushions for every penny you can find. It may be in vain but it is not vanity: it is hope, desperate hope, and that is the only real surrogate for health.

Parkinson Defiant.

Parkinson’s disease doesn’t figure prominently in this book of poetry. Only one short verse – “In the Cradle of Lassitudes” – deals with it directly. Mr. Autin chooses to defy Parkinson’s by excluding it from his creative activity rather than by celebrating it in song and verse. It is in his life rather than his poetry that he speaks about his illness, and that life, by and large, has been a happy one. According to him, happier even than before he became ill because now he can lavish nearly all his time and attention on what he loves to do.

There are many acknowledgements made in the Preface to those who encouraged and supported Mr. Autin throughout these past years. None are more poignant or heart lifting than that which is made to his wife, Katherine.

Married 36 years, he openly states that she has been his companion and helper, his best encourager, kindest critic, and greatest fan. His good conscience and consoler, his love, his reward, his wife.

When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Katherine immediately set out to learn everything she could about this insidious disease. She became active in the national Parkinson’s community, created support groups across Kentucky and Indiana, and volunteered in a thousand ways. She has become the most knowledgeable lay-person in Kentucky on the subject of Parkinson’s disease and is often approached to be a consultant, trainer and speaker by the medical and care giver community through her own business Parksinson’s Partners.