Mark Curtis

Mark Curtis is a former KTVU Washington correspondent and morning anchor who now works as an anchor and political reporter for WLNE, ABC channel 6, in Providence, Rhode Island. He also runs his own media company, serving clients in the Tri-Valley and greater Bay Area. His book about the 2008 Presidential Campaign, "Age of Obama: A Reporter's Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President," won an International book award in May 2010.

Curtis has lived in Danville for the past 11 and a half years with his wife Kathi, a dance teacher, and their kids, Patrick, 15, and Allie, 18 who just graduated from Monte Vista High and will attend Syracuse University in the fall.

The Curtis family will move to East Greenwich, Rhode Island in August to be closer to his anchor job.

I sat down with Curtis to talk about his book, life in Danville and what he'll miss when the family makes the move.

Danville Patch: What led you to cover the 2008 Presidential campaign?

Curtis: My contract was up for renewal at KTVU after 15 years and they decided not to renew my contract. Because of the timing, I decided to go out on the road with the Presidential campaign. I've covered several campaigns before. For the most part I started writing my own blogs and doing my own daily coverage from everywhere.

Danville Patch: In your book you talk about watching your first election coverage in 1964, as a five-year-old. Tell us more about your first election day.

Curtis: I was in kindergarten in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson was running against Barry Goldwater and because my kindergarten was the polling place, they closed the school for the day. I was stuck at home watching TV with my mom and the only thing that was on television was election coverage. I got hooked on it. I thought it was fascinating.

Danville Patch: Why were you so fascinated with election coverage as a five-year-old?

Curtis: You started seeing different parts of the country. I grew up in Wisconsin and I had never been anywhere else. They put the map up on the TV and started coloring it red and blue. I got curious about those places and so I got out my atlas to start looking where all these places were. When you're a little kid you think your state's the center of the universe, so this kind of opened up the whole country to me.

Danville Patch: Why did you decide to write a book about the 2008 campaign?

Curtis: This was the most dramatic, most exciting presidential campaign we've had in modern history and I was a firsthand witness to it all. I thought other people are going to write books about this campaign, I might as well write one too.

Danville Patch: Of all the experiences you had on the road covering the campaign, what was the most memorable?

Curtis: The funnest person to cover was Bill Clinton, he was very accessible, very charming. One of my most memorable experiences was outside this little place called Lexington Barbeque in Lexington, North Carolina. He went into the restaurant and was eating barbeque, having a good old time. When he came out I got a quick interview with him. We talked about the barbeque and what it was like and I asked him how the barbeque was. And I thought you've got to be kidding, this is the most important election in modern history, his wife is one of the main candidates and I want to ask him about barbeque? I didn't ask him about the economy, or the wars or anything else. And I thought what the heck, campaigns are supposed to be about fun as well.

Danville Patch: How did you feel about winning an International Book Award for your work?

Curtis: It was a thrill. It was recognition that the book was an important work and had an important perspective on the campaign. I won in the category of current events, political. My book is a road-trip with the candidates and the people I met along the way.

Danville Patch: Did your family go with you on the campaign trail?

Curtis: Everyone went to the inauguration but my daughter went with me to the Texas primary about three months into the campaign. I thought she's either going  to love it, or she's going to hate it. She loved it. She got hooked. Now she's going to go to Syracuse and she's going to study television and politics.

Danville Patch: What are you going to miss about Danville when you move to New England?

Curtis: We've been very involved in the community. I coached Danville little league and Mustang soccer for many years. We're very involved with our church, Community Presbyterian Church. My wife has a lot of friends through dance teaching, with her students and our kids' friends' parents. We've gotten to know so many people and it's hard saying good-bye.  It's such a great community to just get out of your car and walk around. I love looking at Mt. Diablo especially when it snows. It's a very comfortable, warm community and I'm going to miss that.