Bill Kerns had one particular path in mind for his future, but life took him in another direction. He spearheaded an effort to bring greater focus on local artists in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. This video showcases local artists and those in the media industry workforce. They express the impact Bill’s life and work has had on their own lives.
Journalism was the second choice, film making was the first choice. And it started in in high school as far as the writing for the newspapers and stuff like that. But I was also on a a Dallas Morning News film board, a teen film board and and what I really wanted to do was make films. But I just became a monetary issue. I thought I'd go ahead instead of making films, I'd go ahead and write about them. When I was at Texas Texas Tech, I went over to the Avalanche Journal and proposed since they really weren't doing very much in the way of film and theater and things like that.
I propose that that I do that on a freelance basis for them. I talked to one editor who seemed, you know, positive about it. And he sent me to a city editor and the city editor said, Well, I've got to go ahead and give you the news like spelling tests and things like that.
The spelling test will spell things like a cemetery, you know, funeral, you know? It was a matter of like, I can tell, they're looking for an overt writer on here. I don't think he's going to want me to do arts.
When I gradually started covering local artist, I was just amazed at how many artists were represented by studios elsewhere. How many artists were winning prizes statewide or even nationally, and people didn't know about them. When I was old enough to read, I would run out into the front yard on Friday mornings before school, hoping the newspaper was there. Just so I could look at that section of the paper and look at his movie reviews every week. I just was so excited to see what he thought. And I felt like I got to know him through his writing years before I met him personally.
I had seen Bill around a long time before I knew someone had submitted a whole bunch of pictures to the A.J. to be used in one of their articles. And one of mine was kept me in shadows, and for some reason he was attracted or drawn toward that and interested in had come up with with that.
And so he called me and it was just sort of out of the blue and wanting to do an article. I felt like I'd hit big time when I got an article with Bill and A.J.. You get famous.
Sometimes I'm on a demand to the position. You know, he had an interest in the home, especially fans who had an interest in it, the knowledge and the ability to express it, in my opinion. Bill is essential to the arts community in Lubbock.
He has brought us out. He has introduced us. He's made it possible for people to know about us that otherwise would not. There were times at the beginning on there were worry of what if I gave a negative review?
It wasn't handled well, wasn't taken in the spirit of constructive criticism. I was taken in Who's this young guy? You know, columnists on there? I still remember in college on there. I actually inspired poetry because somebody wrote a letter to the editor that said, there's a movie critic in your paper named Mr. Bill Kerns. Whenever I read him my temper, it burns. He could see a good movie, but he'd never know it because he's as good a critic as I am a poet. And that stuck with me for 40 years. So I've tried to get beyond that.
What I would want to say to Bill is, thank you. I would not be where I am as far as the the community knowing about me and my art without him. We don't like the art community in Lubbock where I would be able to repay the occurrence bill.
There is not anyone more deserving of this award than you. But the award is really for all of us because we've won for what you have done. There's not, to me, an evening or an award that can fully encompass what Bill Kerns has done for Lubbock, Texas.
Being honored by Luca with this award was it really caught me off guard and I feel humbled by it, and I feel really, really to feel I feel appreciated. And that's something that you. That doesn't come all the time.
