Author: Stefanie Gunning

Native New Yorker. Brooklynite before it was cool. Wife. Mom. Voracious reader. Movie obsessive. Grown-up theater kid. Fervent supporter of the Oxford comma. I write about love, friendship, marriage, and motherhood. Surviving an abusive, narcissistic father. Growing older (and more courageous) as a Gen-X woman. Growing wiser, generally. The comforts of pop culture. Weird things I buy on the internet and occasionally regret. My ongoing quest for the perfect haircut, cashmere sweater, slouchy trousers, and cozy home by the sea.
Emerson

We Waddle But We Don’t Fall Down

I unwittingly exposed Emmy, and by extension Jon and myself, to the existential nightmare that is Happy Feet. My intentions were good, I swear it. One cold Saturday morning earlier this year I took Emmy to be tested for the NYC Department of Education Gifted and Talented program (itself a gnawing abyss of parental self-recrimination), and after her test we went out for donuts and … Continue reading We Waddle But We Don’t Fall Down

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Seemed like a good idea at the time

Other People’s Writing

I’m playing midwife for my friend Terry’s book. Months ago, Terry and I were out to dinner, and she was bemoaning her ongoing unemployment. To try and cheer her up, I started telling tales of awful jobs I’ve had. The third-rate cable channel with the passive-aggressive manager who used to sneak up behind me and announce herself by pretending to knock on the air next … Continue reading Other People’s Writing

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Fiction

A Saint Patrick’s Day Story

I penned this short story back in 1999 (literally penned — like, with a pen, on a pad). Set in the aftermath of a boozy Saint Patrick’s Day celebration, it’s a pretty accurate reflection of how the world felt as I made the transition from my late 20s to being old enough to appear on thirtysomething. ____________________________________________________________________ By Way of Clarification You lean your head … Continue reading A Saint Patrick’s Day Story

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Seemed like a good idea at the time

Thanks Santa

We had grand plans for celebrating Christmas and the New Year. Grand by “parents-of-a-4-year-old” standards, that is. I was to leave work on Christmas Eve and not return until January 5 — 11 days of peaceful baking, gifting, going to the spa with my best friend, Lisa,  playing with my daughter, Emmy, and reacquainting myself with my husband, Jon. We intended to spend Christmas at … Continue reading Thanks Santa

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