By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
A highfalutin word heard a lot these days is “influencer.” It often is defined as a person who has an unusually high number of social media followers and who has the ability to strongly influence the opinions of others.
For the purposes of my thoughts this week, I prefer to take one of Merriam-Webster’s most basic — though perhaps not contemporary — definitions:
influencer: a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.
And with this simple definition, I’ll use my new year thoughts to talk about my personal influencers, particularly ones who guide me, knowingly or not, in the writing and public speaking I do about Kentucky. Each may or may not have a sizeable social media following, but indeed influence me in, I think, a positive way.
Perhaps my thoughts will spur you to think about YOUR personal influencers, for whatever realm you are focused.
Byron Crawford is and has been an inspiration of non-fiction stories for me, mostly regarding ones from a rural setting, my own background. Byron talks about “finding the smaller story” inside the larger one, and he is a master at doing so. Read any of his hundreds of past columns from the Courier-Journal (1979-2008) and later, Kentucky Living (2011-present), and you’ll see what he means. His three books are compilations of his columns and provide a nice sampling.
I consider Byron at least a casual friend, and he has helped me feel good about what I write. He’s a Kentucky treasure for many, and certainly is one of my personal influencers.
And while I’m discussing people who portray true stories of rural people through an abundance of wordsmithing craftiness, Georgia Green Stamper influences me, too. Born in Natlee, a tiny community in Owen County, she eloquently translates those “knowing looks” into nuanced, but understandable language—of people like our neighbors and friends for whom we connect. Every word Georgia writes means something significant, and every word she writes is dignified, rock-solid prose.
When one is trying to improve their personal craft, it does little good to follow one with only average skills. Being influenced by Byron and Georgia spurs me to stretch high, and if I lose my balance (as often is the case), that’s okay, too. Always the process and hopefully making me better.
Then there is Silas House, one of Kentucky’s greatest novelists. And why do I point out Silas, generally a writer of fiction… as a personal influencer?
Let me share why. One of my first profiles while writing for Kentucky Monthly was one on Silas way back in 2001. Silas had just released his debut novel, Clay’s Quilt, and it became a huge success, spurring him toward a great career. He currently serves as Kentucky Poet Laureate. I interviewed Silas at a Frisches Restaurant in London, Kentucky, near where he lived, in the tiny town of Lily. Ironically, Silas was working as a postman at the time. A review of his new book had appeared in USA Today, and the point that he was a “writing postman” seemed to be the hook to draw people to the review. We talked about that and much more, a fascinating interview.
Not long afterward, I had the good luck to be student in a fiction writing class Silas taught in Lexington at the Carnegie Literacy Center. And while my own writing performance in the class was, I believe, subpar (writing fiction comes hard for me), one stirring thing struck me about the teacher. Silas came to class extremely well-prepared, sharing with students the many books he carried with him illustrating examples of elements of fiction.
Silas also demonstrated humility. In doing so, he gained even more respect from class members. He showed us copies of the Clay’s Quilt manuscript with the editor’s marks and comments. Notably, the feedback was pretty heavy, and it wasn’t all high praise. What? A best-selling book had actually required a lot of editing! That particular learning gave ME hope for my writing and a respect for the need to have a good editor, no matter how proficient one might be in the craft.
Out of those experiences with Silas House, I was influenced in several ways. First, I learned that one can balance doing two (or more) things well at the same time, ie. working as a postal employee and writing a successful novel, or for me, teaching and writing concurrently. Second, he showed me the importance of doing preparatory work, even to over prepare, to be most effective. He did, and he was. Third, true humility can actually bring better performance, and can make one’s influence even greater. I get better when I allow people to see my mistakes and, in turn, work to improve from their feedback… though it may sting a little bit.
And, there are people like editor and friend David Miller, of Lexington. He has a genuine desire to be a solution to problems, always looking for the best in others. He loves his adopted state—my state–after moving from West Virginia years ago. I consult him on technical publishing issues, and he shares his ideas on story possibilities. I’ve recommended David to several people seeking help to publish books for the first time, and he is reasonable in his pricing. He’s a reliable resource to fill in my skill deficits in publishing, and a person I trust. An influencer? You bet.
Another Lexington buddy who helps shape my writing endeavors is Eric Fruge. Though not a full-fledged editor as David Miller is, Eric is a dynamite writer with several novels, but also has an ear for my non-fiction work, and he and I share our work with each other.
Mike Embry, of Frankfort, as editor of Kentucky Monthly, gave me writing gigs early when I wasn’t very good. He edited several of my Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes volumes, and his wide experience in the writing world provides me with an always-ready resource. He’s a personal influencer, for sure. Jamie Vaught, who overcame a hearing disability to thrive as a college professor and sports journalist (who especially writes about UK basketball and football), works with me on promotional issues and was included in my first volume of Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes. He’s influenced me to build on my strengths and to look at tough challenges as opportunities to grow.
And my career received a real boost when Judy and Gene Clabes, along with son Jacob, gave me a shot to write for, first, Kentucky Forward, and now Northern Kentucky Tribune. I hope their influence on me has been beneficial to their brand, too.
Finally, I must also mention Suzanne, my wife. She supports my writing immensely though often not seeing me for hours as I toil in literary mode. Maybe that’s a good thing for her!
I love the dawning of the new year, and it seems like the right thing to do is to celebrate my personal influencers. May all the best come to you and your influencers in 2024!