San Francisco Bay Area

Writer

Steph Keay  |  She/Her  |  Canadian-born  |  California-based

Arts & culture writer by day. Pursuing leads on food, wine, and luxury travel experiences by night. Former assistant island manager for The Yacht Week in Hvar. Find me on weekends reverse-engineering a recipe, checking out the latest natty wine bar, or going on adventures with my rescue pup, Sushi.

2024/25 Coverage:

Thanks for your interest in working together! My coverage will be very limited this year. Please do send pitches but be aware that I will not be taking on as many stories through 2025.

About me

I’ve always loved writing, but never saw it as a legitimate career. (There are four occupations in the Asian culture: Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, or Disappointment.) One day, an opportunity to write was dropped into my lap like a sparkly, irresistible disco ball. I leapt at it—and never looked back.

Writing gave a purpose to the things I naturally already pursued, plus a reason to dig even deeper. I’m ever-curious to figure out how people and our society works. I consider myself a nonpartisan lens from which a story can be told because I’ve always seen beauty across the spectrum. It can be found in the oddest places; the littlest of things. Life—with all of its ups and downs—is infinitely, intricately fascinating to me.

There is no limit to the places I’m willing to go to uncover the truth, and to share the important stories that reflect our humanity, where’s it’s been, and where it’s going. See my work here.

Topics covered

People
Places
Things
Juggalo culture, “I Went on 25 Dates in 30 Days for Bumble—Here’s What Happened,” where to find San Jose’s best tamales (hint: a van at Wal-Mart), etc.

2025 Goals + -

Learn French.

Read 50 books.

Practice meditation.

Start working on a book.

Get married!

Favorite things + -

Sushi.

Good company.

No company.

New experiences.

Used bookstores and theaters with marquees.

Themed dinner and movie nights (e.g. Jjapaguri & Parasite).

"There was nothing to talk about anymore. The only thing to do was go."

Jack Kerouac

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”

- Hunter S. Thompson

“Give me books, fruit, French wine and fine weather and a little music…”

- John Keats

“Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness.”

- Leo Tolstoy

“Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

- Hunter S. Thompson