I’ve been thinking about Kevin Hearne lately. He’s an AZ born writer who hit big with the Iron Druid series and then went on to become a part of the new canon of Star Wars novels. I like Kevin. He’s a great guy in person and some time ago he was awesome enough to come and talk to my classroom full of hungry writers and feed them tons of info about the craft and the business (thank’s Kev!). Lately, however I’ve been thinking about the people who talk about him and other authors local to them and how these people often become their faves. It feels like the same way that people like the hometown player or fighter or are fans of that actor who grew up down the road but they never really knew personally. Its a strange thing, this localism. Why do we like and root for the hometown hero?
I see it as a bit of localized nationalism. It is a way to remember that where we are actually matters. That is something I took for granted when I lived in New York City. I grew up knowing my city mattered to pretty much the entire globe. There’s an ego which comes with that, but it is no larger than the ego that comes from living in a tiny town that has famous people. The folks from French Lick, Indiana know exactly what i’m on about. So, I think that is why people rally around the local kid. Sadly, I also think that is why every time anything happens in the world every local news station in AZ is quick to point out the Arizona connection.