Word of Mouth: More Conversations

By Lily Clayton Hansen and Ron Manville

Word of Mouth: More Conversations​ is Hansen’s follow-up to ​Word of Mouth: Nashville Conversations, the visually stunning coffee table book that inspired yearlong art installations and partnerships with Vanderbilt University, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and the Nashville International Airport.

As Shannah Gam

• Language: English
• Publisher: Word of Mouth Conversations
• Release date: May 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780999751213

Book preview

Text: Copyright © 2018 Lily C. Hansen

Photography: Copyright © 2018 Ron Manville

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, online article, blog, or journal.

Publisher: Word of Mouth Conversations

Editor: Jennifer Chesak

Photographer: Ron Manville

Designer: Benjamin Rumble

Word of Mouth Conversations

100 Middleton St. No. 211

Nashville, TN 37210

ISBN: 978-0-9997512-0-6

ISBN: 978-0-9997512-1-3 (e-book)

First Edition

For my mom who taught me the art of conversation.

My dad who showed me the power of being true to yourself.

My photographer Ron for his can’t-learn-this-in-a-book wisdom.

Harry who taught me how to love and appreciate others’ differences.

And my subjects who amaze me with their authenticity and ability to connect.

THE CONVERSATIONS

Full Circle

Foreword

An Interview with Author

Lily Clayton Hansen

Alan LeQuire

{ Sculptor & Founder, LeQuire Gallery}

Alan Valentine

{President & CEO, Nashville Symphony}

Alyssa Rosenheck

{Interior and Architectural Photographer & Stylist}

Andy and Karen Little

{Chef & Restaurateur, Josephine & Prima}

Arnold Myint

{Restaurateur, Suzy Wong’s House of Yum}

Aundra Lafayette

{Soup Lady & Founder, Lafayette Soup Company}

Bennett Piispanen

{ Founder, Born in the N.A.S.H.}

Bert Mathews

{President, The Mathews Company}

BJ Lofback

{Chef & Founder, Riffs Hospitality}

Bob Bernstein

{Founder, Bongo Productions}

Bridget Berger

{Actress, Producer & Performance Coach}

Butch Spyridon

{President & CEO, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp}

Sunny Spyridon

{Events Coordinator & Philanthropist}

Caitlin Rose

{Singer-songwriter}

Caitlyn Ragan

{Peddle tavern driver}

Darek Bell & Andrew Webber

{Founders, Corsair Distillery}

Dax Westerman

{Software Developer}

Donna Dozier

{Thistle Farms Graduate}

Elisheba Israel

{Tattoo Artist & Founder, One Drop Ink}

Eric Brown

{Action Strategist & Minister}

Erin Murray

{Cookbook Author & Editor}

Gilles Godard

{President of Corporate Affairs & New Business Development, ole}

Irma Paz

{Popsicle Lady & Founder, Las Paletas}

Jeannie Alexander

{Lawyer, Human Rights Activist & Minister}

Jeremy Cowart

{Photographer & Activist}

Jeremy Kane

{Entrepreneur, Executive & Community Leader}

Jesse Lee Jones

{Musician and Honky-Tonk Owner, Robert’s Western World & The Nashville Palace}

John Stephenson

{Chef}

Josh Habiger

{Chef & Strategic Hospitality Culinary Director}

Kahlil Arnold

{Chef & Owner, Arnold’s Country Kitchen}

Kasar Abdulla

{Social Justice Educator}

Kate Brown

{Children’s Clothing Designer}

Kevin Grosch

{Tech Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, Made in Network}

Kim Green

{Journalist, Editor & Radio Producer}

Langhorne Slim

{Singer-songwriter & Touring Artist}

Laura Lea Goldberg

{Certified Holistic Chef & Writer}

Leslie Fram

{Senior Vice President, CMT}

Libby Callaway

{Publicist & Principal, The Callaway}

Liz Rose

{Grammy-Winning Songwriter & Founder, Liz Rose Music}

Maneet Chauhan

{Celebrity Chef, Cookbook Author & Restaurateur}

Matt Bolus

{Chef, 404 Kitchen}

Michael Fisher

{Sergeant & Community Affairs Officer}

Nathan Brown

{Artist & Muralist }

Omari Booker

{Painter}

Pat Shea

{Longtime CEO, YWCA}

Patrick Hayes

{Designer & Founder, 1767 Designs}

Paul Vasterling

{Artistic Director & CEO, Nashville Ballet}

Phillip Nappi

{Shoe Designer & Founder, Peter Nappi}

Rebecca Green

{Illustrator}

Renata Soto

{Co-founder & Executive Director, Conexión Américas}

Scott Witherow

{Founder & Owner, Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co.}

Stephen & Jessica Rose

{Founders, The Peach Truck}

Suzanne Alexander

{Television & Radio Host, Writer & Producer}

Tim Ozgener

{President & CEO, OZ Arts Nashville}

Tuwanda Coleman

{Host, Writer & Producer, Talk of the Town}

FULL CIRCLE

During the course of our lives, we all reach crossroads that determine the paths we will take. For me, it was finding my interest in photography while in the Navy, getting better at it as an amateur, then deciding to go to RIT to study it. Along the way, I looked closely at the work of many of the iconic masters of my time: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Bruce Davidson, Eugene Smith, and especially Arnold Newman. For my first ten years in Rhode Island, I was a generalist, and also paid attention to environmental portraiture, to the extent that I had gallery shows of portraits early on, even before I went pro full time. Ten years into my career, I met a young chef at Johnson and Wales University, and soon found myself on a different path than I had originally envisioned, gaining skill and reputation as a culinary photographer. That turned out to be a wise choice, as my focus on shooting cookbooks gave me constant work all over the country. But I had strayed from what had drawn me originally to photography. Then, Lily Clayton Hansen came into my life.

She and I first met at Pinewood Social over coffee to talk about producing books. I had worked on a lot of them, and she was starting to put together her first one, so I let her pick my brain. Intelligent, eager, and very articulate, she was easy to talk to, and easy to like. She did put out her book, and I was impressed with its content, its design, and how well she promoted it. When she asked me to take part in her follow-up book, I agreed to do the photography. After a long hiatus from environmental portraiture, I was back at it.

This young millennial writer, who admires Studs Terkel, walks a lot, sends early morning emails by the score, bubbles with enthusiasm about everything that interests her, engages her subjects instantly and personally, and has that illuminating smile, has brought me around full circle. We do make quite the odd couple, but this book has infused me with new energy, and I thank her for that.

Ron Manville

FOREWORD

If you read the first volume of Word of Mouth, you have likely anxiously anticipated getting to know more Nashvillians through Lily Clayton Hansen’s intimate interviews with influencers from all walks of life. If this is your first experience in reading her work, you’re in for a treat!

As someone who feels connected in so many ways to Nashville and its people, I have been surprised and delighted to learn about trendsetters that haven’t previously crossed my path. Through reading Lily’s work, I have also learned more about familiar faces from her conversations. She has a unique way of peeling back the layers and highlighting the most interesting facets of her subjects’ personalities. Her work is brilliant in a very approachable way. For anyone wanting to know more about the pulse of this thriving city and those who drive it, I suggest Word of Mouth as a first-stop research guide.

Founding the magazine, Nashville Lifestyles—and curating its brand and associated publications (well before the current renaissance we are now experiencing)—taught me a great deal about people and the city’s inner-workings. While I have since moved on to other projects, I still credit that time for the chance to meet some incredibly talented and like-minded individuals. In some cases, I also got to have a hand in helping them navigate their own careers.

When I first met Lily in 2012, she arrived at my office looking for freelance work. She was a vibrant young writer full of energy and ideas, and most importantly a willingness to take any assignment to get her foot in the door. I was impressed with her demeanor and also the work she had done in Chicago—a well-rounded portfolio for the age of 25. She was looking to craft her own voice as well as stumble upon a more diverse lot of subjects to write about. Her passion was palpable, which is why I encouraged her to pursue the Word of Mouth brand. Lily’s dedication and timing—she arrived right at the beginning of the city’s boom—and knack for magnetically attracting colorful characters are her ace in the hole.

In this edition, she paired with seasoned photographer Ron Manville, who also came to me when he first arrived in Nashville. With a huge number of published works under his belt, he was a dream come true for the magazine. Like Lily, he brought something new to the table, and I am so proud of what they’ve done together on these pages.

Sharing these stories in such an open and honest way is a true feat, and I couldn’t be happier to give copies of this book to newcomers, friends, and clients. Word of Mouth: More Conversations gives them a little taste of how incredible my hometown neighbors are. After reading, I know you will feel the same.

Stacie Standifer

Founder, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine and City Publications Group

Writer. Branding Consultant. Nashville Ambassador.

An Interview with Author

LILY CLAYTON HANSEN

by Writer & Photographer Samantha Barbee

Lily Clayton Hansen is a master at the art of conversation. When we met at Pinewood Social in 2015, it did not take but moments in her presence to discover that not only is she a woman of great skill but also a gifted creative with a spirit of both comfort and peace. Lily’s craft is simple: to get others to open up. She does this effortlessly, creating a space in which one feels safe to share. Rather than focusing on what an individual does, Lily digs in with hopes of discovering the person behind the passion. As she paints these verbal portraits, she has but one goal: to represent each person as they are at that moment in time.

Why do you do what you do?

While I think it’s great to be in touch with yourself, to fall down the rabbit hole of being too self-obsessed is unhealthy for me. The interviews are a great way for me to pull myself out of myself—my natural state of being too introspective. I love learning about others because you never really know what someone has gone through. It’s fascinating and enlightening.

What have you learned from doing hundreds of interviews?

Everyone just wants to be appreciated for the person they are.

Why do you keep your interviews relatively short?

I love a bit of mystery, which I think is lost on our society today. I don’t want to know everything about my subjects, which sounds odd, but it’s thrilling to go back to my apartment and wonder about all the stuff I didn’t ask. We’ve swung the societal pendulum from be seen and not heard to say everything that’s on your mind all the time. I want to be somewhere in the middle.

What do you love about books?

Aside from being a lifelong reader, I love that they will live on the shelf for at least a year or two, or hopefully forever! There’s nothing satisfying to me about an Instagram story or Snapchat—whatever that is!—that is gone within 24 hours.

How do you choose your subjects?

I love digging for the quiet, more reserved folks—people who tend to keep to themselves and let their thoughts live within their minds. They are usually the most magical in terms of insights. I love a good chase and would rather pursue someone whom I really want to interview rather than let publicists pitch me.

What have you learned about Southern culture as a northern writer?

I come from a very straightforward Chicago family who couldn’t beat around the bush if they tried. I think my subjects were thrown a bit by my directness at first. I had to learn how to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and just ask the questions that I wanted to. Still, I try to have patience and meet people on their level. Even if I get one slice of truth during a two-hour conversation, as opposed to a plastic, canned answer, I feel as though I’ve had a great success.

What is your secret to getting people to open up?

I admire those who lead by example, which is why I try to speak my mind as truthfully as possible in my interviews and share a bit about myself. Like in the best relationships, if you show up honestly, that behavior is usually respected and reciprocated. We teach people how to treat us, so I try and show others how to give me the real deal by doing it myself.

Did you ever struggle with being authentic?

All the time! However, the people that I admire are authentically themselves whether it is my mom, best friend, or Jimi Hendrix. I went through a long period where I felt like I was putting on an act for others, and it was the saddest time of my life. The second I started being true to myself I could breathe again. It’s why a lot of the freaks and geeks in high school become famous later on. They finally say, I am who I am, and maybe that’s okay.

What’s one thing most people wouldn’t realize about your craft?

How many epiphanies I have during and after my conversations! I never walk away not realizing something new, which makes me think the greatest gift in life is the sharing of information. How are we supposed to know others have gone through the same experiences and emotions if we don’t open up to one another?

What was your childhood like?

Difficult but marvelous at the same time. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in a household where I was given free rein to express my feelings. My emotions were validated and received by my mother without shame. All we really want is to be appreciated for who we are.

What artist do you relate to most?

I feel a real kinship with photographer Linda McCartney, who a lot of people called a really good hang. It was obvious by her photos that people enjoyed her company. As one person put it, They were looking back at her.

What’s your life philosophy?

Roll with what’s working. I try to pursue different paths without thinking about it too much. When you overanalyze, life loses the fun factor. And I am all about having a good time and getting the most out of my existence!

ALAN LEQUIRE

{ Sculptor & Founder, LeQuire Gallery}

Within his Charlotte Avenue studio, sculptor Alan LeQuire teaches and creates. From this world comes some of the city’s most striking figurative and classical pieces—for example, Nashville’s controversial Musica sculpture and monumental Athena Parthenos. His works are considered landmarks, but the artist views his creations as leaps of faith. His historical replications are how the artist, with a vivid imagination, grounds himself in reality. His rural upbringing, the anatomy classes he took as a pre-med Vanderbilt University student, and the time he spent apprenticing in Italy influence the Nashville native. His favorite part of the process is learning about the lives of his subjects.

Was your childhood highly creative?

My mother taught art and was a painter. All four of us kids would play in her studio. We grew up in the country, and I used to see images in trees, grass, and the old wood which our house was made of. At one point in my life, that became very frightening, and while I wasn’t conscious of it, making art became a way of dealing with that anxiety.

Why was it scary to realize you saw things differently?

I was on my own a lot because my siblings were different ages, and we were isolated on our farm. It was very easy for me to fall into a fantasy world, which could often become very bizarre. Art was my outlet and helped me to gain control over the anxiety I felt. Fortunately, my mother noticed how much I loved art and facilitated apprenticeships with other artists.

At what moment did you first believe you could pursue art professionally?

When I was in high school, I did a carving, which I then entered into a competition and then won. That meant the world to me and was the first time I thought, Maybe I can make money doing something that I love. While I was a pre-med student at Vanderbilt, where my father taught, I was able to study abroad in France one year, which was the greatest of my life. Seeing public art and sculptural detail on almost every building in Europe really inspired me.

Did you have a set plan for your career as an artist?

Not at all. I worked on achieving my skill set, which was incredibly important to me, and just assumed my career would work itself out. (Laughs) I went to graduate school, which I don’t think was necessary, but was a nice way to see what my contemporaries were thinking about. I learned where my work might fit in.

Was it daunting the first time someone commissioned you to make a piece?

No, I just wished the check was bigger. (Laughs) Athena paid next to nothing, but I looked at it as a completion of my training. I won that job through a competition. The committee took a huge leap of faith because I was totally unknown at the time.

Tell me about your love for art history.

If you really believe in art for art’s sake, then the context is sort of irrelevant. Sometimes it’s refreshing to compare an object from ancient Mesopotamia and something that was created last week. As much as I think knowing chronology is important, I think it’s kind of cool to abandon history sometimes. In a way it’s freeing.

How much research goes into the creation of a replica like Athena?

The challenge with Athena was eliminating my personal style, which was easy because I was a new sculptor at the time. I didn’t really know what my perspective was. By recreating Athena, I actually got to know what my style was. I had to be able to identify my tendencies and then erase them, yet I still know there are a few Athena details that are purely me.

When were you finally able to bring your own flair into your work?

My natural tendency is gothic and very dark. Maybe that comes from my German blood. (Laughs) I’ve spent my whole life staying away from that because it’s too easy. My work is really about control and trying to stay in