Andy Steiner is an award-winning journalist, editor and freelance writer. Her articles have appeared in many national and regional publications including Minnesota Monthly, Minneapolis StarTribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Every Day With Rachael Ray, Utne Reader, Ms., Glamour, Mademoiselle, Self, Modern Maturity and the Toronto Sun. She's currently mental health and addiction reporter for MinnPost; her recent pieces can be found here. 

Her book, How to Survive: The Extraordinary Resilience of Ordinary People, was published in 2015 by Think Piece Publishing. Andy's previous book, Spilled Milk: Breastfeeding Adventures and Advice From Less-Than-Perfect Moms, was published by Rodale Books in 2005. The Japanese-language version of Spilled Milk was published in 2006. Andy wrote the “Feeding Your Baby” chapter for Our Bodies Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth (Simon & Schuster, 2008) and contributed to the best-selling parenting anthology Blindsided by a Diaper (Three Rivers Press, 2007). She is also the author of two children’s books: A Sporting Chance: Sports and Gender (Lerner Publications, 1995) and Girl Power on the Playing Field: A Book About Girls, Their Goals, and Their Struggles (Lerner Publications, 2000). 

And she has written for other outlets, including textbooks, blogs, college alumni magazines and corporate employee magazines.

Andy’s refreshing take on emerging trends and unique characters has earned her a reputation as a writer who’s excited about turning quirky subjects into strong features. A sample includes a look at Midwestern butterfly ranchers, a visit to a Vietnamese fortune teller and a profile of a ferret shelter director. She’s also written a personal account of a guided meditation, a look at the renewed interest in the Jewish ritual bath and an ode to the disappearing wash-and-set hair salon.

MORE BACKGROUND

A Minnesota native, Andy earned an undergraduate degree in English, history and journalism from Macalester College in St. Paul. After completing a masters degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Andy returned to her home state, where she became editor of the Minnesota Women’s Press, the nation’s oldest feminist newspaper.

In 1997, she joined the staff of Utne Reader, where she became the youngest person to hold the position of senior editor. There Andy brought a fresh take to the magazine with her work assigning and editing cover sections, supervising production of front-of-the-book departments, and feature writing. Andy sharpened her interviewing skills there with such celebrities as Susan Sarandon, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Merchant, Ira Glass and Michael Franti.

She has been freelancing full time since 2002. While she loves the freedom and mix of assignments, she sometimes misses having coworkers. 

Andy lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and two daughters.