Stephanie Kuehnert got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist ‘zines. She received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago. Her first two YA novels, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE and BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, were published by MTV Books. Her memoir, PIECES OF A GIRL, is forthcoming in Spring 2024 from Dutton Young Readers. She was an award-winning columnist for the Forest Park Review. Most notably—and a teenage zinester’s dream come true—she was a contributing writer for ROOKIE, an online magazine for teenage girls, for all seven glorious years of its existence. She’s taught graduate and undergraduate creative writing courses as well as in elementary and high schools and for writing organizations. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, Stephanie finally found home in Seattle, Washington, where she lives with her partner, child, and two cats.
You can also find Stephanie on Facebook and Instagram.
