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Chicago Story Press

We love creative nonfiction that affects you, stays with you, and transforms you.

05/29/2026

When his wife was diagnosed with cancer, Danny Lesslie thought he knew what mattered in life. He was wrong. His family's journey through illness revealed unexpected truths about love, gratitude, and what it means to live fully. It's a story that may change the way you think about cancer and about life. LINK IN COMMENTS

05/22/2026

What happens to us when one of our children dies? For one woman, unimaginable loss shattered the life she thought she knew and forced her to confront who she really was. She developed an entirely new way of leading and relating to other people—one shaped less by power and certainty and more by humanity, compassion, and connection. And when she finally found her way forward, she used what she learned to help others. LINK IN COMMENTS ***de

05/15/2026

Imagine discovering that someone you barely knew hated you for years—for reasons that made heartbreaking sense once you understood why. This piece is about grief, jealousy, and the complicated ways pain can attach itself to other people’s lives. LINK IN COMMENTS

05/08/2026

A woman grows up working in her family’s funeral home and experiences something she still can’t fully explain. Years later, she shares the story on a podcast. What happens afterward changes the way she thinks about coincidence, connection, and the unseen ways our lives affect each other. LINK IN COMMENTS

05/01/2026

What happens when you lose someone because of a brutal crime? How do you make sense of the world after that? How do you pick up the pieces? For one woman, the answer emerged in an unexpected way. LINK IN COMMENTS

04/24/2026

As she plans her mother’s funeral, the question is simple: Did her mother have any favorite dishes she was known for? The answer was not simple. This essay delves into a life far more complicated than any recipe—through books, memory, and the small notes left behind in the margins. It quietly asks what we really remember people for… and how much is revealed in the smallest details. LINK IN COMMENTS

04/17/2026

What happens when we come to the end of our rope--when we are sure we cannot go on any longer? This piece is about a man who decided he no longer wanted to live. There didn't seem to be any point--life was too painful. And then something happened...
NOTE: Piece discusses suicidal ideation. ***de LINK IN COMMENTS

04/10/2026

What do we see and what do we miss--even when it's right in front of us? Jessica Harvey explores this topic, discussing what our family members refuse to see and how blind spots impact all of us. This is a provocative look at what we see and what we come to accept about the people we love. LINK IN COMMENTS. Have you ever had a family member not "see" who you really are?

04/03/2026

We’re taught to take one more bite. To be polite. To accept what’s offered. And even more so when we're in another culture. But how much do we take in—whether it’s food or how we’re treated by others, or how we're treated in a marriage? How long do we keep swallowing discomfort just to prove we’re trying? When does “just one more bite” become too much? LINK IN COMMENTS

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