by Alicia Kelso

Shawnie Kelley has an intimate relationship with Columbus. She knows the best places to eat, where to find the hottest night spots, where to shop for specialty items and what to do throughout the bustling neighborhoods.

The Upper Arlington resident penned the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, the city’s first and only national travel guide. The 300-plus page book is part of the Insiders’ Guide series, which has been around for about 25 years and is published by Globe Pequot Press. The second edition was released in June.

Ironically, Kelley is not a Columbus native (she grew up and subsequently went to college in Pittsburgh). She is, however, a self-professed cheerleader for the city, which perhaps explains how she landed this project.

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, Kelley moved to Central Ohio about 10 years ago and enrolled in Ohio State’s art history program. During that time, she embarked upon a fellowship in Scotland, and ended up staying overseas for four years, researching and writing on topics such as history, castles and architecture.

“I got a lot of academic writing experience, which was good since I always wanted to be a writer. This helped me learn how to describe things in a compelling way,” Kelley says.

When she had to decide where to go after the fellowship’s conclusion, Kelley felt obligated to return to Pittsburgh. But she felt more of a magnetic pull toward Columbus.

“My flatmate in Scotland was German and she would always introduce me as Shawnie from Idaho and I felt myself getting defensive about Ohio,” Kelley says. “It was odd, but I was very passionate about it. That’s when I resolved to come back to Columbus.”

Kelley’s flatmate ended up marrying an American and spent some time in Columbus for work. In jest, Kelley was going to buy her a travel guide so she could differentiate between Ohio and Idaho, but when she went to look for one at the bookstore, there were none.

“It really surprised me. I was gone for four years and when I came back, Columbus had grown tremendously and it was now this vibrant, young, exciting city, but there was no travel guide for it,” Kelley says.

So, she contacted a travel-oriented publisher, Globe Pequot Press, and pitched the idea. After a few exchanges, she was asked to write the guide.

“They wanted someone who was passionate about the city and that certainly was me. I was nervous because at that point I only had academic writing experience,” Kelley says. “But I knew Columbus was deserving of this, and so I dove right in.”

Kelley spent nine months compiling as much information about Columbus and the immediate surrounding area as she could, wining and dining at as many places as possible, visiting schools, arts organizations, retirement villages, talking to as many people as she could.

Consequently, chapters cover everything from pubs, lodging and attractions to parks and recreation opportunities and neighborhood characteristics. There is also a chapter dedicated to daytrips and weekend getaways, and the book includes a little historical background. She wanted it to be user-friendly – for visitors; for those relocating; and for Central Ohio residents to be more aware of the offerings.

“I was nervous since I didn’t know what to expect. The second edition is a little different – Columbus is still growing, so there will be even more information,” she says. “I’m really proud of it. I think it’s a good cross-section of the city and I experienced so many things I never would have had I not done this.”

The book’s release catapulted Kelley on a whirlwind schedule, touring and book signing, and opened up many other doors for her career. She’s published other books (including It Happened on Cape Cod, a historical snapshot of the place she calls “like a second home”) and magazine articles, mostly as a regular contributor to Renaissance Magazine. Due in the fall is Kelley’s collection of 30 short stories from throughout Ohio’s history, titled It Happened in Ohio. She is also currently working on the Insiders’ Guide to Cleveland. She also has two historical fictions in the works and is working on a pictorial story on her alma mater, Carnegie Melon, for Arcadia Publishing’s University Series.

Kelley uses the Columbus guide as a loose template to teach a “Discover Columbus” course at Upper Arlington LifeLong Learning, as well as at various libraries and organizations throughout Central Ohio. When she has free time, Kelley loves to travel – France being her favorite place.

“You can drive from the Alps to the Mediterranean in three hours, the landscape is so beautiful. There is so much history and culture, and you cannot beat the wine and food,” she says. “But it’s deeper than that. France is like a comfy, old sweater that’s kept packed away until the occasion is right and, even though it’s not been worn for awhile, it slips on perfectly and feels just right.”

Kelley also dabbles in photography (and typically submits her own pictures to go with her articles), collects wine, spends a lot of time in her herb garden, and tries to learn as much about cooking as possible. “There’s a master plan there somewhere. I’m a work in progress,” she says.

But as many layers as Kelley seems to have, everything tends to come back to literature and history, which is obvious as she drops an Oscar Wilde quote or a historical tidbit about the area during otherwise casual conversation. And, as much as she now knows about Columbus and its suburbs, she still gets excited about its potential, and continues to defend the city.
“I’m happy I chose to live here. We have a plethora of fabulous restaurants and a pleasantly surprising history. And I was shocked to find out about how diverse the city is. That’s a nifty aspect that surprises me still,” Kelley says. “I’m constantly being surprised with this project, which is why I believe in this place. We’ve got it really good here.”

Alicia Kelso is editor of Upper Arlington Magazine.

Check out Shawnie Kelley’s MySpace page devoted to the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus at www.myspace.com/insidersguidetocolumbus