Chicago Story Press

07/11/2025

What does it mean to come to terms with memory, with blame, with the stories we carry from girlhood? White Roses by Teresa Castro begins with a murder—and becomes something far more personal and haunting. LINK IN COMMENTS **e

07/04/2025

This is a piece about a woman’s quiet resistance in a roadside bar—and the uneasy space between perceived safety and real danger. This isn’t just a road trip story. It’s about boundaries, discomfort, and the weight of being a woman in a world that often expects women to go along with men’s entitlement, attention, and assumptions. LINK IN COMMENTS.

07/02/2025

06/27/2025

In Chalk, Adrian Sattari shares a personal story about gymnastics, friendship and betrayal. What begins as a story of longing and belonging slowly peels back into something much harder—and more devastating. A stunning piece on trauma and the marks it leaves behind. LINK IN COMMENTS

06/24/2025

In 1965, 16-year-old Martha Ezell pulled off the impossible—she got into the Beatles' Houston press conference. What followed was part Beatlemania, part coming-of-age, and all heart. A story of boldness, friendship, and the day Paul McCartney winked at her. LINK IN COMMENTS

06/20/2025

From shoulder pads to swimsuit makeovers, from celebrity interviews to heartbreaking loss—Margaret McMullan’s essay “I Was a Glamour Don’t” is a sharp, funny, and deeply moving look at life inside (and outside) the pages of Glamour magazine in the 1980s. A must-read on identity, ambition, and the stories we choose to tell. LINK IN COMMENTS

06/17/2025

“Lettuce pray.” That’s what the caption said—during a solemn sermon. In this essay, Peter Biegen reveals how closed captioning fails millions—and what that says about the quiet exclusions we allow. LINK IN COMMENTS

06/14/2025

A recent publication by one of our authors, Paolina Milana. Great article

I didn’t leave the Republican party lightly. I left because it left me

06/13/2025

When Jeannie Ewing gave birth to her daughter, she expected the usual joy and celebration. Instead, she was met with silence—and then a life-changing diagnosis. Cries of Despair: A Birth Story Rewritten is an honest piece about grief, love, and what it means to become the mother your child needs. Deeply moving. LINK IN COMMENTS

06/06/2025

What happens when a quiet hike in Joshua Tree turns into a harrowing overnight survival story? Misplaced in the Mojave is an account of losing the trail—and finding what matters most. A story of resilience, trust, and love in the harsh beauty of the desert. LINK IN COMMENTS

05/30/2025

What happens when you're called a "freak of nature" by a U.S. Senator—for simply daring to be among the first women to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy? In this courageous and infuriating true story, Kathy Hamblett recounts what it was like to be one of the first women at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Her journey is filled with grit, grace, and moments that shaped not only her future but paved the way for generations of women to come. LINK IN COMMENTS

05/23/2025

The physician who once saved your life after a near-fatal accident is now the man across the desk—conducting your high-stakes medical school interview. But the encounter doesn’t go as expected… A true story about finding your calling when you least expect it—and how our heroes often teach us more than we ever imagined. LINK IN COMMENTS