MANDEVILLE, La. — Scattered newspaper clippings lay across the table, as Paul Dennis Kalman tells tales of his father’s legacy.

“He was a man who was blessed with an inordinate amount of energy. He had two speeds, wide open and asleep. That was dad,” says Kalman with a smile.

Paul Kalman, the father, was an author, a news reporter, a photographer, and an outdoors man.

He wrote for magazines such as Field and Stream, Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated, and the New Orleans Item.

Back then, in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s,  the paper was only 5 cents a copy.

I interviewed Paul Dennis Kalman, the son, in a house filled with memorabilia of his father.

On the living room wall there was a picture of Paul Kalman interviewing the Beatles.

You know, just a casual work day for Kalman.

He was nicknamed “the Ernest Hemingway of Louisiana,” and was known for categorizing hunting and fishing in the state.

He even helped start the Big Bass Rodeo in New Orleans.

Also, Kalman helped discover the state’s first marlin right off the gulf.

As I sit across the kitchen table with the son, he attributes his father’s success to the riches Louisiana has to offer.

“This really is a sportsman’s paradise … and between that and New Orleans, it was a recipe that could not be replicated,” says Kalman.

Paul Kalman passed away in 1986, and the anniversary of his death just passed.

That’s why his son is making it a point to cherish the moments he had with his father, and to share with everyone the moments his father left his mark on the world.

“It’s quite a legacy. It really is,” says Kalman.