PRAISE FOR MEGAN STIELSTRA

"In Once I Was Cool, Megan Stielstra is warm and open and wise. Whether she’s writing about the complex loneliness of early motherhood or failing to rise to the occasion or find the right language while living abroad, Stielstra is a masterful essayist. From the first page tot he last, she demonstrates a graceful understanding of the power of storytelling. What she’s truly offering with her words, is the grandest of gifts." 

—ROXANE GAY, AUTHOR OF AN UNTAMED STATE

"What an amazing cri de coeur Once I Was Cool is. Megan Stielstra tells us in a witty, sympathetic, confident voice who she is and what and whom she cares about most. Reading these essays, I laughed out loud and also found myself on the verge of tears so many times. This book should be read by anyone who's been in love, had a child or thought about having a child. So, probably, that's everyone."

—CHRISTINE SNEED, AUTHOR OF LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

"Megan Stielstra's wonderful writing and her storytelling bravery is truly a gift for everyone who reads her. Once I Was Cool is refreshing, hilarious, touching, and wise. If she keeps writing like this, I'm going to bet she'll always be cool."

—KEVIN SAMPSELL, AUTHOR OF THIS IS BETWEEN US

"Holy shit. I read Once I Was Cool in two and a half hours, then I started reading it again."

–JAMIE IREDELL, AUTHOR OF I WAS A FAT DRUNK CATHOLIC SCHOOL INSOMNIAC

“Megan Stielstra’s voice is so palpable, so immediate and vibrantly alive, it feels as though she’s standing right in front of you, sashaying her hips a little and maybe occasionally breaking into song, making you laugh so hard you don’t quite notice when you start to cry. A trickster constantly unpacking and upending what is meant by “fiction,” “truth” and “storytelling,” Stielstra has ultimately created a charming style wholly her own.”

–GINA FRANGELLO, AUTHOR OF A LIFE IN MEN

“Here’s the thing about Megan Stielstra: she has a profound understanding of where we all go in our minds, and the unique ability to turn it into a story that sounds like your new best friend is telling it to you. You know, the kind where you’re going “Oh my god that totally happened to me” or “It’s like you see inside my head” until she gets to the part where there’s suddenly a marching band following her down the street or she’s sleeping with the Incredible Hulk or having a three-way which is the part where you go “Okay that didn’t happen to me but damn, why does it still seem like it did?” Megan Stielstra brings it to the party and rocks it.”

–ELIZABETH CRANE, AUTHOR OF WE ONLY KNOW SO MUCH

“Everyone Remain Calm is a rarity: a bold, imaginative, and cunning collection of stories. Spanning a wide variety of styles, forms, and tones, the language here is unapologetically inventive and often humorous, while the sentiments are deeply heartfelt. Ms. Stielstra’s inimitable voice is a fiercely unique creation.”

–JOE MENO, AUTHOR OF THE GREAT PERHAPS

“Stielstra—collector, curator and facilitator of so many stories—also writes beautifully and kinetically. Her work possesses a rare aural quality, no doubt the result of so much time on stage, or even in front of a classroom… in Everyone Remain Calm she gleefully tests the boundaries of the short-story form.”

–TIME OUT CHICAGO

“Stielstra has staked her career on live performance storytelling that is often emulated but never duplicated. In print and especially live, she urges the audience to come with her on adventures that can get both hysteric in pitch and absolutely still: few performers can teeter their audience between these extremes while still engaging such a personal connection. It is the story that reigns supreme, that dictates what will happen on stage. Her delivery is just one part of the show, like the musicians that back her, or the singer that swaps a story duet, or the brass band parading around her.”

–CHICAGO LITERARY EXAMINER

“Her theatrical performances are intense, composed of a powerful cadence of speech and strong storytelling you won’t find anywhere else. Somehow she has bottled the presence of her performances and sprinkled a little bit on each story contained within Everyone Remain Calm.”

–CBS CHICAGO, BEST NEW CHICAGO BOOKS