Praise for Hello Mudder!
While growing up poor in Troy I always wanted to go to camp but my parents could never afford it. After reading Herb’s account I should count my blessings. There is no doubt that I would have experienced the same trials and tribulations that he wonderfully recollects in this hilarious account of his camp experience at Camp Piteous, or is it “Camp Pity.” This is a great recollection of growing up in Troy, N.Y. and Herb makes you feel like you are right there with him. It really is the tale of two cities. The righteous who feels the need to take pity on poor kids to ease their guilt and the poor kid who didn’t know he was poor. We just wanted to be loved and accepted by our parents but those were hard days growing up in a city that was winding down its previous eminence as a manufacturing metropolis, while a population—suffering from those effects—was trying to make ends meet. This is a wonderfully told story about his experiences in my favorite city.
— Don Rittner
Author, historian, commissioner at the Schenectady and Capital District film commision, and president of the Onrust Project.
About the Author
Herb Hyde is a retired former autoworker, union activist, avid college hockey fan and local history buff. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Regents College, now Excelsior College. A resident of Cohoes, NY, he has served on the board of directors of the Friends of RPI Hockey and the Green Island Federal Credit Union. Additionally, he served as the Chairman of the Cohoes Citizens Party and ran for Mayor of Cohoes in 1983. He currently serves as a member of the Cohoes Historical Architectural Review Board.