Chicago Story Press was founded in 2020 by Anne Beall and Judi Goshen, members of the storytelling community who saw their stages disappear when the pandemic hit. When a fellow storyteller passed away without having been published, they created the press to ensure that powerful, personal stories would live on. In 2024, Anne Beall took the helm, expanding the mission beyond books to make stories even more accessible. She launched the Chicago Story Press Literary Journal, an online, no-paywall journal dedicated to creative nonfiction. Published pieces are shared widely—through the website, Substack, and the EBSCO literary database. With a focus on visibility and impact, Chicago Story Press is dedicated to amplifying storytellers and making their words last forever.
At Chicago Story Press, we believe in championing authors. That’s why we offer our literary journal subscription for free, encourage our writers to share their work widely, and ensure that copyright reverts to the authors after publication.
We founded this press because we love stories and essays. The way they can affect you, stay with you, teach you, and transform you. When we find authors with stories no one else has ever read, we want to be the ones to get them out into the world. And when those authors affect readers and make a strong impression, it makes all our hard work worth it.
Judi L. Goshen and Anne Beall founded Chicago Story Press. Although Judi has since stepped away, her vision and guidance continue to shape everything we do.
Anne E. Beall is an award-winning author and social psychologist who writes about the emotional undercurrents that shape our lives. Her books and essays explore the psychology of relationships—between lovers, family members, friends, and pets who think they’re in charge.
She’s written eight nonfiction books, including Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After and Only Prince Charming Gets to Break the Rules, which explore the hidden messages in classic fairy tales. Her work has been featured in People Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, the Toronto Sun, NPR, NBC, and WGN. Her stories and essays have also appeared in numerous literary journals.
She holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Yale—so yes, she can absolutely overanalyze your childhood.
She lives in Chicago, where she writes, edits, walks a lot, and tries to convince other people that winter isn’t really that long in the Midwest.
You can learn more about her at www.AnneBeall.com
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