Biography
Shelley Stoehr is the author of four young adult novels, including Crosses (1991), the first YA novel about self-injury. She publishes internationally in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, and has received awards from the DeGroot Foundation, The North American Review, New Millennium Sunshots, Writer's Digest, WOW: Women on Writing, The New York Public Library, and the American Library Association. In her work, Shelley explores the complex and often unspoken challenges that marginalized girls and women face, providing readers with a window into subjects that they might not otherwise have encountered or understood. Shelley seeks to challenge societal stigmas and to encourage open dialogues about issues that are often shrouded in silence. Ultimately, her goal is to create stories that not only engage and entertain but also inform and empower readers. Her poetry chapbook, Glitterotica, was published by Dancing Girl Press and her memoir will be published by Legacy Book Press in 2026. Shelley identifies as disabled and is a former sex worker.
Stoehr has appeared as an expert on the Maury Povich show, Real Life With Mary Amoroso, and many radio talk shows to talk about self-injuring or “cutting," the subject matter of CROSSES. Her speech to the NCTE, “Controversial Issues in the Lives of Contemporary Young Adults” has been reprinted in The ALAN Review.
Shelley is available for readings and speaking engagements.