“All the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put Stacey together again.”

The bathroom floor is where Stacey found herself when her slow descent into a special kind of mental hell began, culminating in a “checking out” of sorts. The chaos and exhaustion of her fifteen-year marriage had taken its toll, her disintegration disrupting the lives of her boys who needed her more than ever. It’s taken years for her to dissect the pieces of her dysfunctional puzzle, confirming that it wasn’t just one event, but many which sent her down the rabbit hole. Grateful that she’s still around to share her story in this extraordinary book of very personal essays, Stacey shows us how ignoring mental health issues can lead to some serious shit.

"Stacey Powells is a brilliant powerhouse of a writer. This small collection - these personal essays - this book, Empty Cupboards, is miraculous and emotional and disturbing and real and... I could not stop reading it. It pulled at me, urging me on and in, and I fell in love with her words and her heart and her down & dirty truth. You can feel her breaking down, you can sense the pieces of her falling away, you want to grab her and say: yes, yes, this, I know what you mean, I've been there. I. Have. Been. Here. From the very first paragraph to the very last line, Stacey keeps you in her heart. This little gorgeous gem is for anyone - everyone. Stacey's writing is so honest, so raw… you're right there with her. She doesn't just write her story, she makes you FEEL her story, yeah, she's that good."
— Amy Ferris, Author, Editor, Screenwriter, Goddess

“In Empty Cupboards, Stacey Powells tackles one of the toughest of all subjects—severe depression—with wisdom and wit. Written with compelling prose and fresh insights, this book is a must for all who are looking to understand their own mental health and the decisions that make us who we are.”
— Debra Landwehr Engle, author of The Only Little Prayer You Need

“Stacey’s book of personal essays, Empty Cupboards, is a triumph of wit, compassion, and insight. This collection is a red-alert reminder that even the strongest of us can come undone unless we daily nourish and protect for our own mental health. I loved every moment in this brilliant cupboard of modern life and love.”
— David Paul Kirkpatrick, Motion Picture Executive, Writer, Founder of StorySummit.us.

“With relentless honesty and stripped-down prose, Stacey Powells gathers up the jagged pieces of a shattered life, like it was a vase that broke on the floor—and with every page, bold and courageous, she puts a piece back in its place. These essays are remarkable.”
— Jeff Arch, Screenwriter-Sleepless in Seattle, Author of Attachments.

“An astonishingly honest, poignant, wise, and witty group of essays from a voice to be reckoned with. In crackling, inimitable prose Stacey Powells charts out what happens to a woman who has held it together for everyone else. This collection of stories is as heart-rending as it is electrifyingly relatable. Most of us have had “a bad day for 18 months” at some point. Now we have the most articulate BFF imaginable to walk us home.”
— Rebecca Bloom, Story Developer and Story-Telling Coach, Co-Author - The Anti-Cookbook