Elisabeth Magagna

Elisa Stilson Magagna (born February 2, 1983), known by the pen name EC Stilson, is an American writer, editor, and publisher. She has also published blog posts under the name Elisabeth Hirsch, the surname of her first husband. She is one of the founders of Wayman Publishing and Literati Publications. Stilson is also known for her memoirs, and personal appearances speaking across the United States.

Biography Stilson attended Brighton High School. After graduating from high school two trimesters early, Stilson traveled to Hawaii and became a homeless violinist with guitar player Cade Hirsch Morris. Months later they returned to Utah, married, and had children. In 2001, her father was diagnosed with colon cancer. In 2003, her second child, a boy, died of birth defects after living 2½ months, and her marriage started failing. It was during 2001–2003 that Stilson wrote her first memoir, The Golden Sky.

In 2005, in an effort to cope with stressful situations, Stilson went back to school and received her associate degree from Western International University. In the following decade, Stilson wrote seven more novels under the pen name EC Stilson and also earned her bachelor's degree from Western Governors University.

In 2015, Stilson married Michael Magagna, former host of Utah After Hours (KWCR). The two moved to Idaho, where Stilson was diagnosed with melanoma stage 2B in 2018. In 2020, this progressed to stage 4, and Stilson was expected to live only two years.

While suffering from cancer, Stilson began blogging again; her blog, "Crazy Life of a Writing Mom," had one million views. She wrote two memoirs about her melanoma: Two More Years and Ring the Bell. The blog was initially published under the pen name Elisabeth Hirsch, with her stated goal to "write one hilarious, embarrassing, or otherwise outrageous moment each day for 365 days straight."

In 2011, Stilson founded Wayman Publishing. Five of its books became Amazon bestsellers in 2012, many of them in large categories such as women's memoir. Wayman Publishing went out of business in the fall of 2014.

From 2011 to 2013, several of Stilson's books were published, including The Sword of Senack, How to Lose a Tooth, and three memoirs in The Golden Sky series.