Beyond Auburn Magazine

If you have recently enjoyed an article on entertaining and random facts about Alabama, or a piece on places in the state that did not seem real, or a history of a university mascot named Aubie—enhanced with vintage photographs—then you are familiar with the work of Kelly Kazek. The 1987 Auburn graduate, with a degree in English, is an award-winning humor columnist and author who writes about Southern culture and folklore.

She is also a writer who uses the phrase “according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama” with some frequency. But even if the author of more than twenty-five books is not directly citing the state’s premier free, online resource on all things Alabama (EncyclopediaofAlabama.org), it has been used in developing a piece she has written about Alabama culture and history.

“Journalist are trained to seek reliable resources, and EOA is one that I depend on,” Kazek said. “I visit it every month.”  She added that she trusts the people who write its entries, and its great scope of Alabama history appeals to her. Prior to embracing her lifelong interest in weird or unusual topics as a full-time occupation, Kazek served as the managing editor for the Athens (Alabama) News Courier for 11 years.

Kazek describes her job as writing about quirky history and roadside attractions in Alabama and across the South. She is also a humorous observer of Southern culture. In 2022, she earned first-place honors from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists for humor columns that touch on everyday life in the region.

The columnist for Alabama Media Group admits that the notion of an encyclopedia does not fit with what one thinks about when pondering humor. Given that many of her topics are triggered while she is engaged in fun research and traipsing down information rabbit holes, it starts to make sense.

In addition to “according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama” citations in articles, EOA was also used for several of her books, going at least as far back as her 2014 book Alabama Scoundrels: Outlaws, Pirates, Bandits and Bushwhackers. That practice continues in her 2024 book, Some Nightmares Are Real: The Haunting Truth Behind Alabama’s Supernatural Tales, which has ten spine-tingling, but lesser known, ghost legends from Alabama written for young adult readers with a bit of Alabama history laced into it.

“To me, life is all about learning new things. I never want to stop learning. EOA is a fun place to learn,” said Kazek.

The Encyclopedia of Alabama is a free, online reference resource on Alabama’s history, culture, geography and natural environment. The site offers articles on Alabama’s people, events, sports, art, literature, industry, government, plant and animal life, agriculture, recreation and so much more. EOA was created for the state by the Alabama Humanities Alliance and Auburn University; the editorial offices are administered by Auburn University Outreach.