Area resident turns heartbreak into successful publication
As Stephanie Oakey enjoys the debut of her first book, Poems of a Southern Nobody, she is also filled with reflection.
“Time keeps moving, but when we slow down, and we hold on to the passing moments of life around us, we are reminded of life around us,” Oakey said. “We are reminded of our kinship with nature, people, and time.”
Growing up in Andrews, she enjoyed journaling as a child. While attending college at Western Carolina University, she was encouraged to pursue a career in writing.
“I didn’t believe in myself enough as a writer to make that possible,” Oakey admitted.
She was also aware of the need to make a living.
“You do what you have to do to survive,” said Oakey. “We struggled, so the thought of taking a risk to follow my dreams just wasn’t an option at the time.”
After graduating from Western Carolina with a double major in political science and international affairs in 2013, she began a career in health and human services, serving Buncombe and Transylvania counties for nine years. She also worked for the council of aging.
Oakey currently works in Cherokee County in an educational program called Health Career Certs. Writing became a much smaller part of her life as she enjoyed a career in the health field, but she admitted she never felt completely fulfilled.
In 2023, Oakey’s world stopped turning when her mom Sandy Brooms unexpectedly passed away. In her grief, she turned to writing as an outlet for her grief. The loss of her mother led her back to the old homeplace in Alarka, where her grandfather had lived.
Surrounded by wildlife, mountains and streams, she was compelled to write poetry. The memories of family, the beauty of nature, the culture of Appalachia and its history embraced her as she found her purpose in the written word.
“Even when we feel alone, we are all figuring out our purposes together,” Oakey pointed out.
Poems of a Southern Nobody is a book with over 60 poems. Oakey decided to publish the work after the encouragement of her friend Ashley. After publishing, she received a phone call from USA Today, which was interested in publishing a story about her journey to self-discovery. The article appeared in its online magazine.
Today, Oakey is living her dream. She has received national recognition for her first work, and she is currently working on a collection of short stories and a novel. She also accepted an invitation from the English department at East Tennessee State University to do a reading for their English students.
However, the recognition is not what is important to Oakey. She wants to celebrate growing up in Western North Carolina and its people. She wants to share its beauty in nature and relationships – but most of all, she wants to honor her mother and her love for her community.