Lisa Burstein

Lisa Burstein portrays transitions, friendships, and uncertain futures in stories for younger and college readers. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University's Inland Northwest Center for Writers and lived in Portland, Oregon. Dear Cassie follows a supporting character from Pretty Amy through a wilderness rehabilitation retreat, using a diary structure to explore guilt and forgiveness. The Next Forever returns to Amy and Joe after high school, compressing questions about college and commitment into a novella set over one night. Burstein explained that the shorter form suited the story's limited timespan and distinguished its concerns from her school focused novel. Her bibliography includes Sneaking Candy, Again, and The Possibility of Us, plus an essay in Break These Rules. Across formats, Burstein writes about young people defining themselves while relationships and earlier decisions exert pressure. Her stories keep consequences visible while allowing characters to reconsider choices.