About

Hi, I’m Kelly Kazek (pronounced Kay-zick), a former journalist and the author of 25 books.

Here on my blog, I write about odd roadside attractions and colorful characters and quirky history. You might find photos of a Stonehenge replica, or read about the Wolf Woman of Alabama. If you like quirky, this is the place to be.

I was born in Georgia and raised in Alabama. I live in Huntsville, Alabama, with Sweetums, whom I married in 2016 after 20 loooong years as a single mom to Baby Girl. My stepsons are Wirt and Groover (not their real names because… really?) I was an editor and journalist for more than three decades, for newspapers across Alabama, including Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile.

In 2022, I received the top award for humor writing from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

In September 2023, I was honored along with illustrator Michelle Hazelwood Hyde with a first-place award for my picture book Y is for Y’all: A Book of Southern ABCs from the BookFest Awards. I was also honored with third-place awards, along with the illustrators, by the BookFest Awards for my books The Sun Has Gone to Bed (illustrated by Jan Shade Beach), Wander Over Yonder: A Journey-Through-the-South Book (illustrated by Michelle Hazelwood Hyde), and Southern Thesaurus: For When You’re Plumb Out of Things to Say (illustrated by Josh J. Hamilton).

To invite me to speak or host a book signing, contact me at kkazek@southernthing.com or find me on most social media platforms.

Thanks so much for coming aboard!