Erica Stern
@ericarstern.bsky.social
Chicago-based writer. Work in The Iowa Review, Denver Quarterly, Mississippi Review, and elsewhere. Hybrid memoir forthcoming from Barrelhouse Books.
Reposted by Erica Stern
"'Frontier' breaks the code of suffering in silence over and over again."
Corinne Cordasco-Pak reviews Erica Stern's "Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story:" https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-ghosts-of-the-delivery-room/
Corinne Cordasco-Pak reviews Erica Stern's "Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story:" https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-ghosts-of-the-delivery-room/
October 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"'Frontier' breaks the code of suffering in silence over and over again."
Corinne Cordasco-Pak reviews Erica Stern's "Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story:" https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-ghosts-of-the-delivery-room/
Corinne Cordasco-Pak reviews Erica Stern's "Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story:" https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-ghosts-of-the-delivery-room/
Reposted by Erica Stern
After Erica Stern's baby was whisked away to the NICU, she couldn’t stop replaying bad memories. A year and a half later, she was ready to try again.
Essay | Giving Birth to My First Child Was Traumatic. I Wanted a Redo.
After my baby was whisked away to the NICU,
I couldn’t stop replaying bad memories. A year and a half later, I was ready to try again.
on.wsj.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:41 PM
After Erica Stern's baby was whisked away to the NICU, she couldn’t stop replaying bad memories. A year and a half later, she was ready to try again.
Reposted by Erica Stern
![Giving birth a second time (and, years later, a third), didn’t take away any of my love for my oldest son. In fact, it allowed me to separate him from the experience of his birth. I could leave that trauma, or at least the power it wielded over me, behind. It had taken another round to figure out what should have been obvious: the child was not the birth. I hugged them close—children who had arrived in different ways, but who were both very much mine.
[Family photo below]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qcgmjzw4ty77w5zk46mvg25x/bafkreiee6owdphjrzqgktkvjuk7qv4lyr4vn3trweoqa6vk437vlytgada@jpeg)
October 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
substack.com/@ericastern/...
Loved these questions! Thank you to Postpartum Productions for featuring me and my book!
Loved these questions! Thank you to Postpartum Productions for featuring me and my book!
Erica Stern (@ericastern)
Thank you so much to @Kaitlin Solimine for featuring me and my winding journey to writing FRONTIER!
substack.com
July 31, 2025 at 8:45 PM
substack.com/@ericastern/...
Loved these questions! Thank you to Postpartum Productions for featuring me and my book!
Loved these questions! Thank you to Postpartum Productions for featuring me and my book!
Thank you to Leslie Lindsay and Hippocampus for this lovely review✨
"Like Erica Stern, I had idealized motherhood through tender diaper commercials and anodyne magazines..." from Leslie Lindsay's review of Frontier: A Memoir & A Ghost Story. Read it here:
https://hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/07/review-frontier-a-memoir-a-ghost-story-by-erica-stern/
https://hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/07/review-frontier-a-memoir-a-ghost-story-by-erica-stern/
REVIEW: Frontier: A Memoir & a Ghost Story by Erica Stern | Hippocampus Magazine
"Frontier: A Memoir & A Ghost Story [by Erica Stern] seamlessly blend[s] fiction with memoir with research in the most artful and imaginative manner." - Leslie Lindsay
hippocampusmagazine.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Thank you to Leslie Lindsay and Hippocampus for this lovely review✨
Reposted by Erica Stern
After a long break, @ericarstern.bsky.social and I are back with some very personal book recommendations.
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/birth-trau...
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/birth-trau...
Birth Trauma Edition
Better late than never
books4endofworld.substack.com
July 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM
After a long break, @ericarstern.bsky.social and I are back with some very personal book recommendations.
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/birth-trau...
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/birth-trau...
substack.com/@memoirland/...
Excited to have this excerpt from Frontier up at Memoir Land! Big thank you to @saribotton.bsky.social and @cassmannes.bsky.social
Excited to have this excerpt from Frontier up at Memoir Land! Big thank you to @saribotton.bsky.social and @cassmannes.bsky.social
Memoir Land on Substack
“Jonah’s injury was an anomaly, unexpected personally but not statistically, not if you examine the probabilities; it had to happen to someone somewhere—I had just stupidly, selfishly really, assumed ...
substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 3:13 PM
substack.com/@memoirland/...
Excited to have this excerpt from Frontier up at Memoir Land! Big thank you to @saribotton.bsky.social and @cassmannes.bsky.social
Excited to have this excerpt from Frontier up at Memoir Land! Big thank you to @saribotton.bsky.social and @cassmannes.bsky.social
Reposted by Erica Stern
Peace demonstrators have been beaten, foreign students have been disappeared, and educational institutions have been broken and tarred for being "antisemitic" through a series of tortured jingoistic inferences, while Donald Trump constantly and explicitly tells us what he thinks of Jews
"No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker. And in some cases, shylocks and bad people."
July 4, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Peace demonstrators have been beaten, foreign students have been disappeared, and educational institutions have been broken and tarred for being "antisemitic" through a series of tortured jingoistic inferences, while Donald Trump constantly and explicitly tells us what he thinks of Jews
Reposted by Erica Stern
Can we start talking about the war on children?
Trump administration withholds over $6 billion for after-school, summer programs—and more
#Trump
#Trump
Trump administration withholds over $6 billion for after-school, summer programs—and more
Day camp providers and schools are warning that a Trump administration funding freeze could wreck summer for low-income American families and wipe out some after-school programming next year.
The ...
www.dailykos.com
July 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Can we start talking about the war on children?
For no particular, topical reason I’ve been listening to “With God on Our Side” on a loop…😬
July 2, 2025 at 12:38 PM
For no particular, topical reason I’ve been listening to “With God on Our Side” on a loop…😬
Reposted by Erica Stern
We have @littlelobbyists.com families on the way to Washington DC right now, they'll be on the House-side of the Capitol tomorrow. We're going to make them see us before they vote to kill disabled children.
If you can help cover the costs of this urgent action:
secure.actblue.com/donate/littl...
If you can help cover the costs of this urgent action:
secure.actblue.com/donate/littl...
I just gave to Little Lobbyists Action Network!
Show your support with a contribution.
secure.actblue.com
July 1, 2025 at 7:13 PM
We have @littlelobbyists.com families on the way to Washington DC right now, they'll be on the House-side of the Capitol tomorrow. We're going to make them see us before they vote to kill disabled children.
If you can help cover the costs of this urgent action:
secure.actblue.com/donate/littl...
If you can help cover the costs of this urgent action:
secure.actblue.com/donate/littl...
Thrilled to have this excerpt from my book up @thesunmagazine.bsky.social—a dream 🤩
Here's another great excerpt of FRONTIER by @ericarstern.bsky.social, this time in @thesunmagazine.bsky.social
www.thesunmagazine.org/articles/287...
www.thesunmagazine.org/articles/287...
Inside the Whale
Excerpted from Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story by Erica Stern. Available via Barrel House. Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved.
www.thesunmagazine.org
June 19, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Thrilled to have this excerpt from my book up @thesunmagazine.bsky.social—a dream 🤩
Reposted by Erica Stern
New Orleans! Please join me in celebrating @ericarstern.bsky.social 's book release @bluecypressbooks.bsky.social, next Weds, June 18, 6:30 pm!
FRONTIER is a beautiful and thrilling ride about birth, the unexpected, and the wild frontiers. I love it.
From @barrelhouse.bsky.social books.
FRONTIER is a beautiful and thrilling ride about birth, the unexpected, and the wild frontiers. I love it.
From @barrelhouse.bsky.social books.
June 11, 2025 at 6:34 PM
New Orleans! Please join me in celebrating @ericarstern.bsky.social 's book release @bluecypressbooks.bsky.social, next Weds, June 18, 6:30 pm!
FRONTIER is a beautiful and thrilling ride about birth, the unexpected, and the wild frontiers. I love it.
From @barrelhouse.bsky.social books.
FRONTIER is a beautiful and thrilling ride about birth, the unexpected, and the wild frontiers. I love it.
From @barrelhouse.bsky.social books.
Reposted by Erica Stern
Check out this great excerpt of FRONTIER by @ericarstern.bsky.social in @literaryhub.bsky.social
lithub.com/here-is-what...
lithub.com/here-is-what...
“Here is What I Know: A Baby is Born.” On the Wild West of Childbirth.
Ten centimeters, Dr. G. announces triumphantly. She’s back in the room. She means I’m fully dilated, that my body has released enough oxytocin to cause my uterus to shudder and squeeze my baby’s he…
lithub.com
June 10, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Check out this great excerpt of FRONTIER by @ericarstern.bsky.social in @literaryhub.bsky.social
lithub.com/here-is-what...
lithub.com/here-is-what...
An except from FRONTIER is up on @literaryhub.bsky.social !!!
@ericarstern.bsky.social considers a traumatic birth and the many that came before: “Was there something she was afraid of, a contaminant that might transfer from me to her if she were to look at me directly?”
“Here is What I Know: A Baby is Born.” On the Wild West of Childbirth.
Ten centimeters, Dr. G. announces triumphantly. She’s back in the room. She means I’m fully dilated, that my body has released enough oxytocin to cause my uterus to shudder and squeeze my baby’s he…
buff.ly
June 9, 2025 at 8:03 PM
An except from FRONTIER is up on @literaryhub.bsky.social !!!
Reposted by Erica Stern
@ericarstern.bsky.social considers a traumatic birth and the many that came before: “Was there something she was afraid of, a contaminant that might transfer from me to her if she were to look at me directly?”
“Here is What I Know: A Baby is Born.” On the Wild West of Childbirth.
Ten centimeters, Dr. G. announces triumphantly. She’s back in the room. She means I’m fully dilated, that my body has released enough oxytocin to cause my uterus to shudder and squeeze my baby’s he…
buff.ly
June 9, 2025 at 4:01 PM
@ericarstern.bsky.social considers a traumatic birth and the many that came before: “Was there something she was afraid of, a contaminant that might transfer from me to her if she were to look at me directly?”
Loved talking to @rachellayown.bsky.social for @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social! Such great and thoughtful questions about FRONTIER
Happy pub day @ericarstern.bsky.social! FRONTIER is so unique, beautiful, and chilling. So thrilled this book is officially in the world!
"We need a new narrative to replace the What to Expect version of childbirth. We need a messier narrative." @rachellayown.bsky.social's interview with @ericarstern.bsky.social on her book "Frontier: a memoir & a ghost story" (@barrelhouse.bsky.social) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/06/03/o...
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/06/03/o...
June 4, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Loved talking to @rachellayown.bsky.social for @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social! Such great and thoughtful questions about FRONTIER
Reposted by Erica Stern
Chicago! Join us for a FRONTIER launch party next week! @ericarstern.bsky.social & @finejuli.bsky.social at @volumesbooks.bsky.social, on 6/5
May 30, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Chicago! Join us for a FRONTIER launch party next week! @ericarstern.bsky.social & @finejuli.bsky.social at @volumesbooks.bsky.social, on 6/5
Reposted by Erica Stern
NEW: FBI Director Kash Patel said bureau agents arrested a county judge in Wisconsin Friday, alleging she obstructed an April 18 immigration enforcement operation. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
FBI Arrests Judge Alleging She Obstructed Deportation Operation
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
April 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
NEW: FBI Director Kash Patel said bureau agents arrested a county judge in Wisconsin Friday, alleging she obstructed an April 18 immigration enforcement operation. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by Erica Stern
Couldn't be clearer that — just like #MahmoudKhalil & #RümeysaÖztürk — #MohsenMahdawi is persecuted for his political speech & identity.
DO NOT play "Good Palestinian/Bad Palestinian" or "Good Immigrant/Bad Immigrant" here. If you care about democracy, speak out without qualifiers. Raise hell. NOW.
DO NOT play "Good Palestinian/Bad Palestinian" or "Good Immigrant/Bad Immigrant" here. If you care about democracy, speak out without qualifiers. Raise hell. NOW.
April 16, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Couldn't be clearer that — just like #MahmoudKhalil & #RümeysaÖztürk — #MohsenMahdawi is persecuted for his political speech & identity.
DO NOT play "Good Palestinian/Bad Palestinian" or "Good Immigrant/Bad Immigrant" here. If you care about democracy, speak out without qualifiers. Raise hell. NOW.
DO NOT play "Good Palestinian/Bad Palestinian" or "Good Immigrant/Bad Immigrant" here. If you care about democracy, speak out without qualifiers. Raise hell. NOW.
Reposted by Erica Stern
Includes FRONTIER by Erica Stern!
There are a lot of great books coming this spring! I wrote a roundup of 34 of them for the Orange County Register: www.ocregister.com/2025/04/02/3...
34 new books in our spring 2025 preview to add to your TBR pile
Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more coming to your local independent bookshops in the next three months.
www.ocregister.com
April 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Includes FRONTIER by Erica Stern!
Reposted by Erica Stern
Looking for some distraction? @ericarstern.bsky.social and I are back with book recommendations from someone far funnier than we are
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/the-sopran...
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/the-sopran...
The Sopranos but for Toddlers
Jermaine Affonso's Books for the End of the World
books4endofworld.substack.com
March 21, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Looking for some distraction? @ericarstern.bsky.social and I are back with book recommendations from someone far funnier than we are
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/the-sopran...
books4endofworld.substack.com/p/the-sopran...
I am generally a big Severance fan but have one qualm—why do they pretend epidurals don’t exist? Kier has a network of birthing cabins and women undergo invasive brain surgery to avoid childbirth pain, but like, there is a simpler, fairly effective alternative!
March 24, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I am generally a big Severance fan but have one qualm—why do they pretend epidurals don’t exist? Kier has a network of birthing cabins and women undergo invasive brain surgery to avoid childbirth pain, but like, there is a simpler, fairly effective alternative!
Reposted by Erica Stern
Nothing says happy anniversary like gripping your husband’s hand until it nearly loses circulation while watching an episode of The Pitt w/ a devastatingly realistic birth trauma scene 😬😬😬
March 14, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Nothing says happy anniversary like gripping your husband’s hand until it nearly loses circulation while watching an episode of The Pitt w/ a devastatingly realistic birth trauma scene 😬😬😬