The Henry County Library in Clinton is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a book reading and signing session for local author Clayton Steward on Saturday, November 8th. The event will be held from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. in the Friends of the Library Community Room. Clayton will be reading from his newly released book ‘Do what you have to do’.
About Clayton: Clayton Steward, originally from Montrose, is a visual journalist that tells long form stories that capture the human spirit and explore the intersection of people and their environment. His background in Chaplaincy training compliments his studies in art and photography to provide a deeply empathetic and creative approach to storytelling. His upbringing in rural Missouri and familial visits around the coastal deep south continue to be a source of inspiration for projects and work he turns his lens toward. He holds a B.A. in Digital Communications from the University of Saint Mary and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. Clayton now lives in Kansas City where he is a freelance photojournalist and adjunct instructor of communications and photography.
Clayton’s work has been published in the New York Times, Kansas City Magazine, The Park Record, Deseret News, The Columbia Missourian, The New Territory Magazine and the place where he had his first newspaper internship, the Clinton Daily Democrat.
About ‘Do what you have to do’: What does care and commitment look like in rural Kansas? For the Engstrom family, it looks like doing what you have to do to care for a loved one. ‘Do what you have to do’ is a photo book with over 30 high-res images that gives viewers a glimpse into one family’s experience with rural healthcare and the way they make it all work.
Donna and Larry Engstrom were married in 1965 in the front room of the farm house they now live in. She was 17 and he was 23. The couple raised three children together, Jante, April and Slade, in Coyville. The couple has felt their fair share of “rough times,” but are quick to say, “we had fun.”
A series of surgeries, injuries, and complications over the span of several years required a different approach to care for the Engstroms. Larry had a fall in August 2022 and it was decided more help on the farm was necessary, so the kids stepped in. Jante and her husband, Shelby, renovated a barn on the property into a home and moved from Fredonia, Kansas in February 2023.
Larry sometimes struggles to grasp the words that he is searching for. He often looks to Donna to help him pull out the right phrase. One thing that Larry does not struggle with is telling one of the many stories from his youth, growing up on the farm that he loves so dearly. Everything from his assortment of pets (a skunk, bobcat and raccoon) to the reason the upstairs window screen was rusted out – four boys and no upstairs bathroom.
Please join the library in welcoming Clayton as he shares the story of the Engstrom family navigating the rural healthcare system while caring for their beloved patriarch. Copies of ‘Do what you have to do’ will be available for purchase and autographing at the event for $50. Cash, check, Venmo, and credit card via online payment will be accepted. For further information contact the Henry County Library in Clinton at (660)885-2612.
