Although she does not have rock solid plans after Jan. 14, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco will be writing a book.

Finding subjects to write about will not be an issue. Her four years in the governor’s mansion and 24 years in the arena of Louisiana politics includes the tragedies of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She served as the first woman governor, first woman state representative from her district and first woman to chair the Public Service Commission.

And she was in charge of more than 30,000 National Guard troops in the storms’ aftermath, which is the most by any governor in U.S. history, a staff member said.

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In fact, she said her experiences separate her from her fellow Louisiana governors — an eclectic list, by itself.

“(Louisiana governors are unique), but I alone have experienced something no other governor has,” Blanco said. “In many ways, it’s a strange place to be because I don’t have another governor to talk to whose gone through the biggest natural, national disaster that we have ever had.”

Longtime Louisiana Tech University Journalism Department Head Wiley Hilburn Jr. said a book from the governor would be an important part of the Louisiana political library.

“It would just be the best anecdotal history we could possibly have of the hurricanes,” he said. “I will really look forward to that because we really have not had enough information on her role during the hurricanes.”

The longtime columnist said any such work might also paint her in a different light. He said he believed she would be remembered in a positive light because of her actions following the storms.

“The first time she was on TV (after Hurricane Katrina) is what everybody is thinking about, and it was just three days after,” Hilburn said. “Her handlers left her out there and she had to answer questions twice and sometimes three times and she had this stunned look on her face. That is what people still remember. I’m just glad she will have this book out there.”

Blanco told The Daily Iberian Monday that many people she talks to across the state have encouraged her to write the book.

“In the aftermath of Katrina and Rita, they knew I had and an even more enticing story to tell because of the particular characters I had to deal with,” Blanco said.

Outside of her role in hurricane recovery, Blanco’s place as a pioneering woman politician is second to none in Louisiana.

The Mt. Carmel Academy graduate said she never dreamed of a run to the governor’s mansion when she entered politics 24 years ago. However, Blanco has remained cognizant of her place as a woman in what some consider the male-dominated world of Louisiana politics.

“I always have felt a high level of sensitivity towards that,” she said. “I think it is important that women have models. It’s very exciting now because so many girls, even very young girls, come up to me saying, ‘I want to  be governor one day like you.’ I think that is very encouraging. There was a time when I don’t think a girl felt like she could even have that dream.”

Blanco admits she did not harbor hopes of the governor’s chair when she began in politics. Since then, things have changed, even in her own family.

“After I was made governor, in the early days of my governorship, my oldest grandson was about 3-years-old,” Blanco said. “His mother asked him what he would like to be when he grew up. She went through a little checklist and he liked to be a policeman, a fireman or an engineer like his father. Then, his mother said, ‘would you like to be governor like Mumsy?’ He said, ‘oh come on Mom, I’m a boy.’ ”

The departing governor said the reality of a woman president is upon us already, classifying former first lady and U.S Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as having “ an excellent chance to be the next president.”

“She is the first really viable female on the scene,” Blanco said. “I think I can safely predict that we’ll see more women in years to come.”

New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry said Blanco is part of many women who have broken into both state and national politics.

“When I was growing up the majority of the women were either school teachers, secretaries or nurses,” she said. “Women were not really venturing out into politics at that time. When you think about it today, we have a U.S. senator that is female, a female governor and female speaker of the (U.S.) House. The trail has been blazed by a number of women, so to speak.”

Blanco said if women want to join the political arena, they still need to build a larger public service record than their male counterparts.

“It’s good for any candidate to want to build themselves into position to hold a higher office,” she said. “Women especially have to do it. Some wealthier men are always able to buy their ways in without any public service experience. I think it would be nearly impossible for a female. Perhaps a movie star female could make it, maybe like an Oprah.”