"Whether it's with a guitar, a pen & piece of
paper or a camera, I just like telling stories."
- STACY DEAN
"Whether it's with a guitar, a pen & piece of
paper or a camera, I just have to tell stories."
- STACY DEAN
"Whether it's with a guitar, a pen & piece of
paper or a camera, I just have to tell stories."
- STACY DEAN
"Whether it's with a guitar, a pen & piece of
paper or a camera, I just have to tell stories."
- STACY DEAN
BOOKS
"The writing is flawless." - WRITER'S DIGEST
COTTONWOOD
In Cottonwood, Stacy Dean Campbell weaves a poignant tale set in the oppressive heat and dusty plains of 1930's Texas, where dreams and prejudices collide in a world defined by hardship and resilience.
The story follows the intertwined lives of Sheriff Rube Whitlock, his family, and the Black community members struggling to survive under the weight of systemic racism and personal loss. Rube, a man burdened by duty and personal tragedy, hires Esther, a resilient Black woman, to help manage his household after the mental collapse of his wife. As Esther becomes a stabilizing force in the Whitlock home, her presence stirs discontent in the racially divided town. Meanwhile, her husband, PV, struggles to achieve the American dream by working the land, despite the scorn and sabotage of a community unwilling to accept his ambitions.
Through the eyes of young Arliss Whitlock, we see the complexities of a childhood shaped by prejudice, family loyalty, and the unlikely bond he forms with Esther. This relationship challenges the assumptions he has inherited and offers him a window into a different way of seeing the world.
As tensions mount, the town's simmering hostilities threaten to boil over, setting the stage for a collision between the forces of progress and the deeply entrenched hatred that grips the town. Cottonwood is a vivid exploration of resilience, hope, and the tenuous threads that bind us across the divides of race, family, and history. It is a story of quiet rebellion and enduring humanity in the face of cruelty and despair.
(Audiobook)
"Campbell clearly loves this part of the country and writes its dialogue beautifully." - AMERICAN SONGWRITER
RAMBLING HEART
In Rambling Heart, Stacy Dean Campbell crafts an evocative collection of interconnected stories, weaving together the lives of characters shaped by the harsh beauty of the American South and Southwest. From the dusty trails of Texas to the rugged mountains of Appalachia, each tale explores the themes of love, loss, resilience, and the unyielding pull of home.
The narrative follows a cast of richly drawn characters: a weathered coal miner clinging to dreams of a long-forgotten prosperity, a restless young man seeking redemption in the shadow of his family’s legacy, and a woman torn between the life she’s known and the promise of something greater. Through vignettes of hardship and hope, the stories delve into the human spirit’s capacity to endure, adapt, and find meaning amid adversity.
With lyrical prose and a deep sense of place, Rambling Heart captures the essence of lives caught in transition, set against a backdrop of shifting landscapes and timeless struggles. It is a poignant celebration of ordinary people navigating the extraordinary trials of love, ambition, and survival.
THE MOCKINGBIRD SON
Milo is a mockingbird in Fran Nantucket's garden and being a mockingbird isn't at all bad. But he doesn't want to just mock other birds, he wants to sing his own song. Be himself. Be different from dad. When his friends don't understand and snicker and tease, Milo learns the valuable lesson of just being himself. "For there's only you and you are by far the most perfectly perfect you...just as you are. Written and illustrated by Stacy Dean Campbell.
"Be yourself. No one can tell you you're doing it wrong."
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- Charles Schulz
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