Fatherhood birthed a new creative venture for Knoxville native Wesley Bennett. In tribute to his hometown and hours of storytelling for his daughter, Vivi, Wesley wrote his first children’s book. “The Kitty of Knoxville” showcases beloved landmarks that make Knoxville special, like Ayres Hall, Neyland Stadium, the Sunsphere, the Strong Alley murals, Zoo Knoxville, the Tennessee River and more. Wesley collaborated with award-winning children’s illustrator Finn Dean to bring the story to life.
Q. Tell us about your background and your love for Knoxville.
I was born and raised in West Knoxville. My Dad was a philosophy professor at U.T. for over 30 years. My parents took me to the World's Fair when I was 4 years old. I have great memories of growing up in the 1980s: birthdays at Showbiz Pizza Place, swimming at the Faculty Club pool on Neyland, and drinking cherry cokes at Long’s Drug Store off Kingston Pike. I have spent time in Boston, Ohio and Georgia. Those other places had their charm, but something, whether it was the kindness of the people, or the pull of the mountains and the river, always drew me back here.
Q. What gave you the idea for the book?
When we had our daughter Vivi, I think it made us more creative people. You feel the need to take them to interesting places, constantly read, and then come up with engaging games and characters. As a 4 to 5-year-old, Vivi was always writing her own books and drawing, and it reawakened my creative side. We live downtown and instead of walking around a traditional neighborhood, we see Market Square, the Sunsphere and Gay Street on a regular basis. A trip out of town where we discovered the book "Goodnight Memphis," led me down a rabbit hole of these styles of local books, that say goodnight to all of the big landmarks of the town. Knoxville didn't have one, and we improved upon this model by adding in Dr. Seuss rhymes and the Kitty character, inspired by our two cats, Stella and Penelope.
Q. Can you speak to the importance of a book written for children about Knoxville?
"The Kitty of Knoxville" is the book I wish I had when our daughter was born. Sometimes if something doesn't exist, it will never exist unless you make it yourself. There are things about Knoxville that kids should know. Why are we called “The Scruffy City” or “The Marble City?” Why are University of Tennessee's sports teams called “The Volunteers?” Children should know who Dolly Parton and Peyton Manning are, and why the Sunsphere was built. The book is a fun way to learn and to appreciate our history.
Q. Your book is beautifully illustrated. How did you choose which Knoxville landmarks to include?
You lead with the iconic structures like the Sunsphere and Neyland Stadium, and work your way down the list until you run out of room. Obviously you can’t include everything, but we really tried to. What we couldn't fit in the main story, we tried to put in either the Knoxville map section, or the endpapers, where we included the Civic Coliseum, Old City Hall and Chilhowee Park. Another aspect is preserving memories of how things used to be. In the last few years, the Sunsphere went from being green to blue, the JFG sign was taken down (that was on the south side of the Gay Street Bridge), and the downtown trolleys were discontinued. Even if Knoxville College and the Patrick Sullivan building change over time, I wanted to show them how they originally appeared.
Q. Is there a question you wish I had asked but didn’t?
What’s been interesting is how things have changed for me after writing the book. Before I just thought of myself as an author, but now I feel like I’m the CEO of a very, very tiny corporation. I am in charge of media relations, marketing, sales, and book distribution. I have also been developing my skills as a speaker when I go to elementary schools for readings and presentations.
Visit KittyofKnoxville.com to purchase online or find local retailers.
"The Kitty of Knoxville" is the book I wish I had when our daughter was born.
When we had our daughter Vivi, I think it made us more creative people. You feel the need to take them to interesting places, constantly read, and then come up with engaging games and characters.