Kelly Kazek

When Baby Girl was 8 years old, we started a scrapbook. We took photos and collected little keepsakes to stick to the pages until the book had a bulging middle that rivaled a pampered dog’s. It was September when we started the book, which we completed a few months later. The process of making it… Continue reading Will it take an unprecedented tragedy to make us kind again?

Blog Post, Southern Thing Column

Yes, Atticus Finch, you can choose your family

September 7, 2021 Kelly Kazek

Below is an excerpt of a column that originally appeared on It's a Southern Thing. Click here to be directed to the full column now. Her voice was low but sweet. It seemed too hoarse for the tiny body it came from, as if it had flowed over gravel and sandpaper, smoothed out with maybe… Continue reading Yes, Atticus Finch, you can choose your family

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

Have you ever heard of a community called The Bottle?

August 30, 2021 Kelly Kazek

With football season starting up, I thought I'd share an excerpt from my book "Forgotten Tales of Alabama." This is one of my favorite books. See a description of the book here. Every student heading from the north to the campus of Auburn University in southern Alabama has turned off Alabama Highway 280 onto Highway… Continue reading Have you ever heard of a community called The Bottle?

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

The Castle at Wilson Park

August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 Kelly Kazek

Below is a brief excerpt from my 2020 book, “A Guide to the South’s Quirkiest Roadside Attractions.” It is a Books-a-Million exclusive and can be purchased in stores or on the website here. The Castle at Wilson Park (Wikimedia Commons) Fayetteville’s historic Wilson Park is known for an unusual feature: a whimsical castle structure that was… Continue reading The Castle at Wilson Park

Southern Thing Column

The intriguing Ace of Clubs House

August 23, 2021 Kelly Kazek

Below is a brief excerpt from my 2020 book, "A Guide to the South's Quirkiest Roadside Attractions." It is a Books-a-Million exclusive and can be purchased in stores or on the website here. The intriguing name for this house comes from the fact that it is shaped like a club, with three octagonal wings and… Continue reading The intriguing Ace of Clubs House