Arts & Entertainment

Private Words to Public Works

Sunset Hills-based author and dental hygienist Christy Burkley proves that diversification and dedication can lead to success.

Sometimes life takes unexpected twists and turns, leading to positive results. When Christy Burkley’s grandmother went into an assisted living program 2 years ago, she was pushed to write as more than just a hobby. She had always been a writer, but after this tragic event, she started to take her skill more seriously. When her grandmother died in January, Burkley pushed herself even more to get a publisher for her writing collection.

A Tennessee State University business alumna, Burkley has lived in Sunset Hills with her husband and two children for the past 17 years. She also is a part-time dental hygienist in Crestwood. A good friend of hers was publishing a book and put her in contact with a publisher to get the process started.

“I went through a whole year waiting for this contract and I thought ‘Maybe I should publish this myself,’” Burkley said. “When I got the contract I didn’t want to sign it—it was very controlling.”

Find out what's happening in Arnoldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Burkley then moved on to iUniverse, an independent book publishing company.

“They told me when they reviewed my manuscript it had the potential to win an Editor’s Choice Award, and only a couple of them are given out each year,” Burkley said.

Find out what's happening in Arnoldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Her first collection of short stories, The Faded Tapestry, was published through iUniverse and Burkley did indeed win her first Editor’s Choice Award. Burkley said the title had been rewritten several times, and that there are a lot of “death issues” in the stories probably due to “what was going on with me at the time.” The stories are a mix of fact and fiction based on people she knew growing up in Tennessee, and Burkley said it has an “Alfred Hitchcock” type of ending. One of the characters in the book, Mary Rose Davis and her historic family ancestral tapestry with her family names, represents the "end" of strong family ties and family respect.

“There are parts based on the Civil War and the hero is Sam Davis,” Burkley said. “I actually went to his house and researched him, but there are parts in the book that are definitely fictional—just loosely based on people I knew growing up.”

Burkley said that there is another character in the first story of the book that is like her grandmother, but does some things that her grandmother would have never done. Most of the stories are based in Tennessee, but two are set in downtown St. Louis.

Possibly the most controversial story in the book deals with the subject of Mexican immigration with a racist character leading the charge. 

“Some things in that story I’ve heard actually people say in Tennessee. Some people here might not understand it, so if there is anything controversial in the book, that would be it,” Burkley said.

Amazon.com said that Burkley “offers wickedly comical tales of eccentrics who collide with the limits of reality in The Faded Tapestry.” Burkley herself said that she too considers herself a “different” kind of character, who doesn’t have writer’s block—instead she has writer’s ADD. 

“I’ve got another collection of short stories—I love love love short stories. I have another novel that needs to be edited and another idea for a young adult story,” she said. “I have two teenagers and I work part time. It’s hard to decide what to concentrate on, so in the end I just have to go with my heart.”

With a new novel, Butterfly House, ready to be published again by iUniverse because of her great first-time experience, Burkley said that she definitely loves to write stories that are character driven.

“It’s not fun to write about people who are too normal. That would be boring,” she said. “In a perfect world I would sit behind the scenes and write all day.”

To receive a copy of The Faded Tapestry, visit amazon.com or call 314-842-7500 or 314-421-5400.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Arnold