NORWICH – Oxford Academy and Central School graduate, Dustin Warburton, recently published his ninth book with boxer Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr.
Born and raised in McDonough, NY, Dustin Warburton began gathering material for his writing at an early age. “Every place has that house. You know? Every town has its story,” said Warburton, referring to the inspiration he garnered from growing up in a small town.
At the early age of 17, Warburton wrote his very first work – a short horror piece titled “Prologue.” The story was a fictionalization based on life in McDonough. “Prologue” was published for the first time in 1999, while Warburton was a senior in school when he was accepted to the New England Young Writer's Conference.
In 2006, Warburton's first full length book was released. The book is titled “Taste.” The book came into being as Warburton decided to expand “Prologue” into a longer story. Warburton describes the book as a horror novella based on McDonough. “What better way to honor where I grew up – a place that nobody knows – than to fictionalize it,” said Warburton. “It's like paying homage to it.” Warburton is currently working on a sequel to “Taste.”
In 2007, Warburton released his second book called “Strange Things,” a book of short horror stories all done by different authors. When this title was released, Warburton was working in a maximum security prison in Vermont, going to college full time, and competing as a boxer. “I loved horror by the time I was done with college,” said Warburton, “After prison, I saw horror in a different way – I was working for so long in a negative environment with society's worst.”
“After four years of college, and four years of working in prison, I was so burned out,” said Warburton, “That's when I wrote a kid's book and it changed everything.”– I moved away from horror after working in that environment.”
Since then, Warburton has published six children's books, with his most recent being released in October of 2014. Warburton teamed up with Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., and illustrator Dan Monroe to publish “Macho Dad,” a book that honors Camacho's father – a world champion boxer of the 1980s, who was murdered two years ago in Puerto Rico. “Junior and I wrote a kid's book in honor of his father that addresses loss,” said Warburton, “It's such a difficult topic to discuss.”
The book is written in rhyme and tells the story of a child and his father living in Puerto Rico. The father, portrayed as a super hero, offers his assistance to all. Near the end of the book, however, the father flies into a storm, never to return. The book looks at the son and how he copes with the loss of his father.
“My last couple of years have just blown up,” said Warburton, “I did a kid's book with Dennis Rodman and things just blew up.” Warburton said that he has four more books slated for next year. In addition to two films, Warburton has published nine books to date.
For those interested in purchasing “Macho Dad” or other titles by Warburton, many are available on amazon.com. Or, visit your local library and ask if they have any books by this Chenango County native.