Laura Lea Cupp: Kentucky Appalachian Author Rooted in Faith and Family
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
Meet Kentucky Appalachian Author Laura Lea Cupp
Rooted in Faith, Family, and the Hills
Kentucky Appalachian author Laura Lea Cupp writes the way Appalachia breathes, steady, honest, and unafraid of the truth. A Kentucky writer shaped by faith, family, and the mountains that raised her, Laura’s words are not polished for shine, they are polished for meaning.
Writing first took hold of Laura when she was a child, but it deepened in her early teens. What began as something she enjoyed became something she needed, a way to understand herself, her family, and the world around her. A pivotal influence during those years was her seventh and eighth grade teacher, Sharon Sears King, who encouraged her voice and gave her the confidence to tell her stories.
Over time, Laura’s writing has shifted from pursuing perfection to pursuing authenticity. "I’m not chasing perfect, I’m chasing real," she shares. That honesty is the heartbeat of her work.
Family, Loss, and the Stories That Hold Us
Growing up in southeastern Kentucky gave Laura a perspective that cannot be learned from a textbook. The pace of life, the strength of community, and the way stories are carried from porch to porch shaped not only who she is, but how she writes.
After losing her mother in 2023 and her father in 2024, along with several members of her father’s side of the family in recent years, Laura felt an even stronger pull toward preservation. Her maternal grandparents, Ralph and Lela Helton, remain steady anchors in her life. Their quiet faith and lived integrity continue to guide her.
She also carries the lessons her parents instilled in her, to keep going, try hard, and do her best no matter what was happening around her. Losing them deepened her understanding of just how much grit and heart they poured into her life. Alongside the steady example of her grandparents, those lessons form the compass she writes from and the way she strives to live: "Love God. Love people. Do right. Do your best."
The Process of Preservation
Laura approaches storytelling slowly and intentionally. When writing about family or Appalachian history, she works through multiple drafts, carefully honoring memory while verifying details. She leans heavily on lived experience and conversation, allowing research to support the story without overshadowing its heart.
To Laura, preserving Appalachian stories is deeply personal. It is both an act of remembrance and an act of protection. In a world that moves quickly and often misunderstands the region, documenting everyday voices becomes a declaration: We were here. Our lives mattered.
Publications & Current Work
Laura shares much of her work on her blog, A Porch and A Pen, where reflections on faith, family, and everyday Appalachian life come together with warmth and clarity.
Her work has been published in Edge of Humanity Magazine, and she writes a monthly column for London Neighbors Magazine titled The Porch. Several additional pieces have been accepted for publication and are awaiting release.
Currently, Laura is working on a book, a project she describes as one that must unfold in its own time. "These stories matter to me," she says, "and I want to tell them the right way, not the fast way."
Faith, Community, and Looking Ahead
Faith and community are not themes Laura inserts into her writing, they are the soil from which it grows. Her faith helps her process grief and joy alike. Her community provides the people, the language, and the lived examples that fill her pages.
She hopes readers walk away from her work feeling connection, comforted, encouraged, or reminded of their own people. And she believes documenting Appalachian voices right now matters more than ever.
"If we don’t write down our stories, our family histories, our faith, our losses, our everyday lives, they’ll disappear," she says. "Documenting them is a way of saying we were here, and our lives mattered."
Author Bio
Laura Lea Cupp is a Kentucky writer rooted in faith, family, and the stories that raised her. She grew up in southeastern Kentucky and now lives in London, Kentucky with her husband, Berry. After losing her mother in 2023 and her father in 2024, she felt a renewed calling to preserve the voices of her family and region.
She shares her writing on her blog, A Porch and A Pen, has been published in Edge of Humanity Magazine, and writes a monthly column for London Neighbors Magazine titled The Porch.
Connect with Laura Lea Cupp
Blog: A Porch & A Pen – Heartfelt Expression (lauraleacupp.wordpress.com)
Facebook (Blog): facebook.com/APorchAndAPen
Facebook (Personal): facebook.com/llmiracle
Joining Hearts of Appalachia
Hearts of Appalachia Project, Inc. is honored to welcome Laura Lea Cupp as a contributing writer. Her voice reflects the very heartbeat of our mission, preserving family stories, honoring faith, and documenting the everyday lives that shape our mountain communities.
Laura’s commitment to truth, memory, and heritage aligns beautifully with the work we are building across the region. Through future features and contributions, she will help us continue telling the stories that matter most, the ones rooted in home, shaped by resilience, and carried forward with love.
We are grateful she is stepping alongside us in this work.