Megan Stielstra's story collection, Everyone Remain Calm, was a Chicago Tribune Favorite of 2011, and her essay collection, Once I Was Cool, is forthcoming May 2014. Her work has appeared in The Best American Essays 2013, The Rumpus, PANK, Other Voices, and elsewhere. She is the Literary Director of the critically-acclaimed 2nd Story storytelling series and has told stories for all sorts of theaters, festivals, and bars including the Goodman, Steppenwolf, the Neo-Futurarium, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and regularly for The Paper Machete live news magazine at The Green Mill. She teaches creative writing at Columbia College and Northwestern University.Online: www.meganstielstra.com and @meganstielstra