Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. – John Wooden
Some years ago at a book fair a young man who might have been twenty, give or take a year or two, came up to my book table and asked, “Are you famous?” I remember first being a bit surprised by the question and then laughing as I said, “Hardly.” I can’t remember whether he was disappointed or not. Perhaps he just left my book table to go hunt up someone truly famous.
Fast forward ten or so years and I’m doing a book talk at a school. That day I literally talked to every kid there from preschool age to fifth grade. In different sessions but still that’s a lot of book talking. Anyway, the last kids to hear my spiel were fourth and fifth graders. Once again I heard that question when a fifth grader came up to me after I talked and while the teachers were herding kids back to their appointed rooms.
This cute boy, maybe eleven, slipped up to me to ask, “Are you famous?” Once more I smiled and said, not really. This kid wasn’t prepared to be disappointed in meeting someone famous, and so he held his index finger about an inch from his thumb and said, “Aren’t you a little bit famous?” How could I totally disappoint a cute little boy that eager to have spoken with someone famous? I couldn’t and so I said that maybe, I was a little bit famous. LOL. He went away with a smile.
But I certainly don’t feel anything close to famous as I think about famous. Who is famous? Movie stars. Athletes. Coaches. Preachers can be famous. And some bestselling authors make the list without a doubt. One proof of fame is being well known in a general, all-encompassing way. His or her name is a household word.
Of course, a person might be well known in his or her home town and not be known at all a few miles down the road. So would he or she still be famous? You know what? I think that’s a question that needs to be answered by everybody else and not by the person being looked at as famous. Even so, for those few minutes in that school I was just a little bit famous to one young boy.
Maybe the better question is “Do you want to be famous?” I’ve never worried much about acquiring fame, but I would like my books to be widely read. Most all writers do. That’s why we work so hard getting our stories published and out in front of readers. It’s what we do.
“Are you famous?” It could be that if you have to ask somebody if they’re famous then they probably aren’t. And you know what? The best place to be famous–that is to be known and loved–is in your own family. So I’m always happy when the grandkids show up at a book fair to check out all the books of the “famous” writers. The above picture is from the Kentucky Book Fair in 2016, I think.
Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wing. Only one thing endures and that is character. – Horace Greeley
Have you ever met anyone famous or perhaps you are famous yourself?
Comments 17
I consider you famous. I would be honored to meet you.
Author
I’d love to meet you too, Lucy. Thanks for thinking I’m that little bit famous. 🙂
I think that you are pretty famous to those of us who read your stories. It is like Pringles-because once you read one of your books, you have to read more! 🙂
I have seem some country singers in concert. I have a photo of my grandmother with country singer of the past-Tex Ritter. I don’t think many people probably know his name anymore, but his son John was pretty famous. Ed Begley Jr. came to our school one time to give a speech about the environment. Melissa Gilbert came to my elementary school in the 1980’s to see a girl who was sick. I would have loved to have gotten to see her, but they only took her to the girls classroom and our teacher went and meant her, but we weren’t so lucky. I had dressed up as Laura Ingalls one year for Halloween and would have loved to have meant her. On a school trip to New York City in eighth grade, I sat beside an actress and her husband. She was on a soap opera that I didn’t watch, but the other girls knew her and asked for her autograph. She seemed a bit upset to be recognized but she did sign autographs for them. I think fame like beauty, might be in the eye of the beholder.
Author
What a sweet thing to say, Hope. You can never read just one. 🙂 I would love that if all readers thought like you. And you’re probably right about fame being in the eye of the beholder. Still a kid that loved Laura Ingalls would have surely enjoyed meeting Melissa Gilbert. And Tex Ritter was one of my father’s favorite singers. I heard one of his records a lot when I was a kid. We didn’t have very many records so we had to listen to the same ones over and over. I still think of Tex Ritter whenever the movie High Noon comes to mind. And I did enjoy “Three’s Company” with John Ritter. I don’t think I’ve ever met a famous singer. I have been at book events with writers who had more than a little fame. I’m guessing that those who are really well known and famous do have trouble living an average everyday life.
I know three of The Kentucky Headhunters, we are from the same town. I met Joey and Rory and a few more country singers, but honestly though you are “just a little famous”you are the one person that it made me so proud and happy to meet.I guess when I’m in the room with you I feel a little star struck like that little 11 year old boy.
Every time I pick up a book of yours to read I feel honored to know you.
Oh and I’m trying to make you more famous.Every time someone asks me about books, your name comes up!
Author
I do so appreciate your kind thoughts, Lisa. It was fun meeting you and it’s been so nice the times you and your beautiful daughter and granddaughter have come to my book events. I was really surprised when you showed up at the one last year.
I especially appreciate you talking up my books to other readers. The best advertisement a book can get is a reader talking about it.
I’ve met a few, but my favorite was my Aunt Bette who was an author of children’s books. Jerry Van Dyke and Richard Simmons would qualify. Plus several well known governors and congress people.
I just remembered that I had breakfast with Joan Lunden. Her husband ran a boy’s camp in Maine where I was one of the camp nurses one year. She is a very nice lady.
I also worked with Darlene Love. I didn’t even recognize her for quite some time. We would have meals together in the staff mess, but it wasn’t until I went up to the lounge one night to hear her sing that it hit me. She had her contacts in and her wig on up there.
Author
What fun for you, Nancy, to have met so many famous people. I think it’s neat that you were able to get to know Darlene Love before you knew she was famous.
I think “famous” is sort of a personal opinion. I’ve met people who are well-known in certain circles, but maybe not necessarily a household name. I have a friend who was a famous track star in college and then an Olympic contender…even making the covers of that famous sports magazine. But not everyone follows college or Olympic sports. And I’ve met and chatted with the famous Donny Osmond on a few occasions, but young people today say, “who’s Donny Osmond?”
I think the best famous people I’ve met have been at book fairs. Because those of you who are great writers have proof in published books and their sales. To me, that’s being famous. That is why I’m missing the KBF so much this year. Hopefully we’ll be back at it next year, and Courtney and I can continue our family tradition. (By the way….she refers to you as “that famous writer friend of Grammas) 😉
Author
Well, now I am feeling a “little bit” famous. You tell Courtney thank you very much. And I did very much miss the Kentucky Book fair and the other book events that have been canceled throughout the year. I do hope for better in 2021. But it looks to be a dark winter season first with the rising COVID numbers. I do hope you and all of yours stay well.
P.S. I think Donny Osmond is more than a little bit famous.
I’m not famous, as a young child, I had the same name as a wild, loud, black singer woman, I was a skinny little white girl and everyone made fun of me and called me names. Never, ever wanted to be famous. I didn’t know it at the time, but I didn’t need to worry about it, my parents could have changed my name, I did, when I got married and the name thing got a lot better.
I have met several famous people, former President Bill Clinton; musician David Allan Coe; several old school country musicians. Their fame never impressed me much, I would have much rather have met a favorite author, someone who’s works have impressed me. Reckon I wouldn’t fit into a “groupie” personna.
Tina, I can relate to the name thing. When I was in high school there was a tall black UK Wildcat player with the same first name as mine. I got teased terribly too. That’s when I started adding my middle name to my first name and going by both.
Author
I remember him. I always thought that was an odd name for a boy, but these days the names are sometimes hard to pronounce. I’ve had some people give me nicknames like Little Orphan Annie or Annie Rooney, but it never bothered me when I was a kid. Although I didn’t particularly like my middle name. I was named after a favorite aunt and should have appreciated that more when I was a kid. But Bernice can also be a boy’s name and I guess I didn’t appreciate it when people pointed that out.
Author
I’m sorry you had a rough time with kids messing with you because of your name, Tina. I guess that showed you fame wasn’t always to be desired.
But sounds as though you have met a number of well known people. Maybe you’ll meet some favorite authors in your future. And I definitely wouldn’t fit into a groupie personna either.
Some people are infamous, or well known for not-so-good reasons. We definitely don’t want to be one of those people. So, being a little bit famous would be nice, at least in one’s own family, but I like the quote about character being more important than being well known. Character endures.
Author
Yes indeed, Suzanne. Character and being a child of God is much more important than any kind of fame.