Wine flows with Boone man's journey
by Tom Mayer
Just one week ago, the Boone-based nonprofit Wine to Water
entered a new chapter. On Jan. 5, its founder Doc Hendley published “Wine to Water: A Bartender's
Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World” — a raw and honest portrayal of Hendley's journey from a
life centered on himself, to one centered on the world.
It wasn't an easy story to tell, Hendley said during a recent interview. It's also a story that probably wouldn't have been told had he not been tapped as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 for his work on the international water crisis.
“Following that, I got a phone call from a literary agent in January 2010 wanting to write about the water crisis,” Hendley said.
There was a catch: Hendley's story would be in contention with others. He would have to submit an proposal to earn the privilege of sharing his mission with the world through a book.
“That made me nervous,” Hendley said. “My life isn't squeaky clean.”
Not squeaky clean is what agent Mark Anders wanted, Hendley said.
Anders plucked his proposal, and would go on to help the new author structure the book.
The story, Hendley said, is in his own words. And it's as honest as he could make it.
“Before it was published, I was worried about that,” Hendley said. “I grew up in a fairly conservative family. From Day 1, I was against the system. With the book coming out, I knew the family was going to read it. I was very, very nervous.”
That feeling didn't change, Hendley said, until his 90-year-old grandmother read an advance copy — twice.
“Grandma said she didn't like the language in the beginning of the book, but she understood why it was there,” Hendley said. “In the end, she told me, ‘It's not so much how you talk, but that you walk the walk.'
“After that, anybody can say anything now: Grandma said it's all right — so it's all right.”
That's high praise, Hendley said, for a book written by a tattooed rebel who decided he wants to change the world.
It's even higher praise, he said, for a story that begins in a biker bar.
It wasn't an easy story to tell, Hendley said during a recent interview. It's also a story that probably wouldn't have been told had he not been tapped as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 for his work on the international water crisis.
“Following that, I got a phone call from a literary agent in January 2010 wanting to write about the water crisis,” Hendley said.
There was a catch: Hendley's story would be in contention with others. He would have to submit an proposal to earn the privilege of sharing his mission with the world through a book.
“That made me nervous,” Hendley said. “My life isn't squeaky clean.”
Not squeaky clean is what agent Mark Anders wanted, Hendley said.
Anders plucked his proposal, and would go on to help the new author structure the book.
The story, Hendley said, is in his own words. And it's as honest as he could make it.
“Before it was published, I was worried about that,” Hendley said. “I grew up in a fairly conservative family. From Day 1, I was against the system. With the book coming out, I knew the family was going to read it. I was very, very nervous.”
That feeling didn't change, Hendley said, until his 90-year-old grandmother read an advance copy — twice.
“Grandma said she didn't like the language in the beginning of the book, but she understood why it was there,” Hendley said. “In the end, she told me, ‘It's not so much how you talk, but that you walk the walk.'
“After that, anybody can say anything now: Grandma said it's all right — so it's all right.”
That's high praise, Hendley said, for a book written by a tattooed rebel who decided he wants to change the world.
It's even higher praise, he said, for a story that begins in a biker bar.