what colleagues say about stephanie ericsson

Janet Goldstein Associate Editorial Director, HarperCollins Publishers

As I young editor, I knew when I was working on Stephanie's book Companion Through the Darkness that it had something special to offer. I also discovered that Stephanie would push her writing, heart, and ideas as far as she could to touch the lives of others. The fact that the book has become a quiet yet profound classic on living "in" and "through" grief is a testament to the power of Stephanie's words. It is also a sign of her ability to edit as well as write, as it takes a special author to shape personal experience into something universal and helpful. It was an honor to work with Stephanie. (LinkedIn)

Bob Warren President, Creative Director at &Warren

Stephanie's, wow, well, Stephanie's a lot of things. She's a thinker, a driving force for brand and product exclusivity, a voice of honesty and what's right, even if it's not what you thought would hear. But she's also a care-giver, to the brand, to the idea, to her clients and teammates. In short, she's all about doing the right thing, which means the smart thing. Then she puts it all into writing that's best described as brand prose. Copy that makes you want to do something because of the way it makes you feel and believe, not because its a scream or a command. Stephanie is a writer's writer. A wordsmith. One of those rare people who can write a book (which she's done a couple of times) or write a sentence. Again, whatever is right. Stephanie not only made better ads, she made those of us around her better, too. Especially me. (LinkedIn)

Jan Leadholm Creative Director at Kittelson & Leadholm

Stephanie is not only fun to work with but her work shows it -- engaging the mind, touching the heart, full of energy, and imagination. She is always interesting, and a daring, creative being down to her bones. Top qualities: Personable, Good Value, Creative (LinkedIn)

Greg Prokop, Owner, Moore & Prokop, Inc.

"I had the honor of working with Stephanie as a colleague at a major ad agency. Her work ethic was pure Midwest -- dedicated and determined. She was a master at nailing the strategy with ideas that were original, emotional and inspirational. Her writing style is refreshing and engaging, provocative and evocative. With Stephanie you get a consummate professional with a real-world sense of poise and purpose. She's a keeper." (LinkedIn)

what the press says about her work

WHEN I DISCOVERED that Companion Through the Darkness was about a widows experience, I almost put it back on the bookstore shelf, thinking it was not pertinent to my situation. Instead I became instantly mesmerized. Stephanie Ericsson has written pages stolen from my journalhow else could she know my pain, my darkness, my dark side? Ericsson holds nothing back. She sorts "through the language of grief books that say all the same things but desert us by leaving the unsafe things unsaid." Her book covers the gamutthe obvious to the unspeakable. People who have never walked through the darkness may be shocked at her brutal selfdisclosure. Her companions will find strength for the moment and hope for the long haul.

Public high school English teacher Marcus Eure, meanwhile, teaching in the single most conservative county in New York State, labors daily to dislocate the complacent mind, to teach students to parse not only what they are being told but how they are being told. His course in rhetoricenough to give a foolish man hopeexposes the discrete parts of effective writing and reading, then nudges students to redefine their notion of correct to mean precise, logical, nuanced, and inclusive. His unit on lying asks students to read the Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus letter from The Sun and Stephanie Ericssons The Ways We Lie, then consider how we define lying, whether we condone it under certain circumstances, how we learn to do it. Having to treat Santa Claus as a systemic lie, Eure notes, even if we can argue for its necessity, troubles a lot of them. DEHUMANIZED, When math and science rule the school by Mark Slouka, Harpers Magazine, September 2009

An excerpt from her heart-wrenching journal follows a brief, candid discourse. The truth in her writings cuts deeply. Her husband died unexpectedly while she was pregnant with their only child. She admits four months after her husbands death that she "fired God that day" and "still stubbornly thinks that God is a bumbling idiot." She addresses the frightening dark side of our thoughts. Somehow we are reassured, can even smile about it, and then move freely toward the Light again because we are no longer ashamed of our thoughts. (She does later reinstate God.) "Mourning is a time when the cruelest things are said, sometimes by our most trusted." Ericsson reveals a surprising element of grief: It shears away the masks of normal life and forces brutal honesty out of your mouth before propriety can stop you. It shoves away friends, scares away so-called friends, and re-writes your address book....Grief will make a new person out of you, if it doesnt kill you in the making....Grief is a molting where we shed the parts of us no longer applicable to the new parts. Light in the Darkness by Suzanne St. Yves , Sojourners June 1994

what readers say about her writing

My favorite of many Grief Books, November 20, 2011 TomKat (Arizona) My husband of 32 years was killed in an accident in 2003. I was given several books on Grief but this one was my favorite and I have given copies to many others since that time. What set this book aside from the others, for me, was the authors realistic, candid ability to be angry, raw and all the things that I felt, and some of the other books didn't discuss. I never read the book cover to cover, but I would pick it up and it seemed too often open to just what I needed to read for that day. I highly suggest this book for someone who is grieving. This author really gets it!, October 20, 2011 By Debbie S This woman put my feelings into words. I am twenty years older than the age at which the author is writing, but she very clearly articulated my grief, my pain, my confusion, my anger and my fear of what lies ahead. In addition, her style of writing helped me to see that it is possible to survive the loss of a spouse. She talked about the growth inherent in the grief process. This is the ONLY grief book I have read that completely resonated for me. This book helped me so much!, September 15, 2011 By SarahM This book made me feel human, understood, and like a friend was with me. After losing a husband at 23 yrs. old, and with a 3 yr. old daughter to raise, I was a mess.. This book became a journal for me, I wrote in the margins, I cried and cried, I felt hope, and even laughed. Ten years later, I am buying it for a friend who lost her partner.. An amazing book!!! #1 Most Helpful Book EVER!, August 15, 2011 By Tammy L. Woods "TW" (NY) I lost my husband to suicide on May 8, 2008. I read book after book, looking for some solace and understanding of how I was feeling. I found nothing. Most books, about suicide in particular, are too interested in giving the facts...who does it, how they do it...how to prevent it. Someone finally recommended "Companion Through the Darkness" to me. I bought it, thinking that it would just go in the pile with the others. How wrong I was! I read it in just over an hour, cover to cover - crying, laughing, and downright sobbing as Stephanie Ericsson told MY STORY! Stephanie didn't lose her husband to suicide, but she went through the same emotions as I did and was able to put it on paper! That was something that I was struggling to do! It has probably been a year or more since I bought that book. I pick it up about every two weeks and read parts of it over again. It makes me feel not so alone, it makes me feel like my emotions are all normal, and it shows me what a journey I truly am on. And that there IS light at the end of this long and dark tunnel. I tell everyone who will listen about this book. I can't stress it enough, this helped me more than just about anything over the last few years. Buy this book and tell others!!! This Author "gets it", March 17, 2011 By Karen Tribou (Murrysville, PA) I adored my husband. He died 11 months ago. I then entered a deep dark place. This book helps me to know I am not alone - because the author does not "beat around the bush." She steps out and describes what grief REALLY is. I highly recommend this book.

Best book I've read following the loss of a fianc/spouse, January 29, 2009 By Lisa M (Chicago, IL) After I lost my fianc to a heart attack, suddenly, I was searching everywhere for answers to how to deal with the deep grief that followed; the loss of a beautiful person who I loved deeply, and who returned the same to me, and my best friend, and a future destroyed in one single day. I wanted to know if I would get better, and when, or if I would get worse. This book, Companion Through the Darkness, helped me more than anything or anyone. Stephanie Ericsson experienced this kind of loss herself, and she doesn't sugar coat the process, letting you into the deep recesses of her own madness and anguish. She understands deep love and the loss of it, and the way it changes a person forever. As I read the book, I found myself underlining sentences or words that expressed EXACTLY how I felt, and when I look back at the book now, I've underlined over half of it. All I can say is, if you know someone who has lost a lover/partner, or if you have yourself, buy this book. It will help, you won't be "cured", but you will start to realize we are not alone and that you will never have your old life back, but you can recover somehow. It helped me and I refer to it often for added support when I need it. Thank you, Stephanie. As good as it gets, October 30, 2008 By Keefe H. Cropper (Center, Texas) The title of the book matches perfectly the content. Stephanie is a true companion for the grieving. Like a bard she gives voice to the various dimensions of grief in such an honest and authentic way. Her gift for writing articulates the various feelings of the grieving for those less gifted. While reading the book, one person immediately recognized what he was feeling through her words. In her giving voice to something he could not describe she became a true companion in the darkness. Moreover, she puts her finger on the peculiar new status of those having to transition to a new social stage in the absence of their spouse. An excellent book for those who have lost a spouse. Equals C.S. Lewis in honesty and depth of emotion, July 12, 2006 By emm "emm" (Atlanta,GA) This book saved me. I have read it twice and the heartfelt emotion of grief speaks clearly in every chapter. I gave it to a friend who had recently become widowed at a young age and it helped her with her grief enormously. Since that time, I have had several requests for the book, and I am going to order additional copies to loan out. Although Ms. Ericson writes about her own husband's death, the experience of grief and loss in her book transcends her own situation. This book is the only book on grief that I can compare with C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed." When one is grieving, he or she can only grab onto someone else's experience who understands their own. I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone who has experienced any loss of any type. Best book on grief ever, March 12, 2006 By R. Bertschausen This is a beautifully written, moving book. I am a minister and have read widely about grief since I deal with it often in my work. This is hands-down the best book on grief I have read. I use it often in my work with grieving individuals, and in sermons. I am very grateful to Stephanie Ericsson for sharing her experiences and wisdom.

what readers say about her writing