How to Make Paper When the World is Ending

by Dallas Woodburn

A couple sets off on their first long weekend together with romantic-or murderous-intentions. A recently divorced father attempts to jump-start his life by performing as John Lennon in a Beatles cover band. A young woman becomes obsessed with a sweepstakes contest in the wake of her roommate's sudden death.

How to Make Paper When the World Is Ending features literal ghosts, spiritual ghosts, charming ghosts; ghosts that are dead ends and ghosts that are still living; the ghosts of what might yet be and the ghosts of what might have been. How is each of us shaped by what haunts us?

As Entropy Magazine noted of her first collection, Dallas Woodburn is a master of writing stories that "never cease to surprise or carry a wave of emotional impact." With its ambitious scope and resonant themes, How to Make Paper When the World Is Ending is another deeply felt, captivating collection of stories that will linger long after the final page.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2022

About the author

Dallas Woodburn's debut YA novel, The Best Week That Never Happened, was a #1 New Release on Amazon, a Featured Bestseller on Apple Books, a “Must Read” on Reedsy Discovery, and the Grand Prize Winner of the Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction. Her short story collection How to Make Paper When the World is Ending (Koehler Books) was a Grand Prize Finalist in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. Dallas is also the author of the YA novels Before & After You & Me (Owl Hollow Press) and Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life (Immortal Works); the nonfiction books 1,001 Ways to be Kind (Familius) and Your Book Matters (Breakthrough Books); and the short story collection Woman, Running Late, in a Dress, winner of the Cypress & Pine Short Fiction Award.

A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing and San Francisco Writers Grotto Fellow, Dallas's writing has been honored with the international Glass Woman Prize, second place in the American Fiction Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations. She is editor of the series Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing. She is also a book coach, founder of the Thriving Authors Summit, and host of the Thriving Authors Podcast, where she interviews authors about their creative lives. Connect with her at www.dallaswoodburn.com.

Reviews

[Anna Avian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique collection of short stories that managed to keep me invested to the very end. Emotional stories about people's everyday struggles, about their grief, loss and hopes.
My personal favorites were Story to tell around a campfire, Receiptless, The man who lives in my shower and the title story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Koehler Books.

[Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I like it! :)

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dallas Woodburn has a gift for storytelling. I am never disappointed. Somehow she manages to weave in drama, depth, and humor. This collection is both thoughtful and inventive. One of my favorite stories opens the collection, "Story to Tell Around a Campfire." She relays two parallel stories, one that is romantic, one that is scary. It's the same story. But it isn't. A brilliant working of how fate can take us one way or another. I won't say more and give it away. This collection is about moments--mothers facing the loss of innocence in their children, the simple use of Wikipedia to reach an elderly patient, the destruction of an ice cream cone--and how they change us and how we view the world irrevocably.

[Cody | CodysBookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

What a phenomenal collection of stories! I requested this on a whim, mostly due to the cover, having no prior experience with this author and unsure what I was getting into. I’m now a fan! These stories are melancholy in the best way, exploring the human condition (especially grief, and feeling haunted both physically and emotionally) in a real and authentic way.

To pick a favorite story here is hard, I love them all. Really. There isn’t a dud here. They all hit. Perhaps my favorite moment is the ending of the first story—what a gut-punch. If you’re looking for a short collection of stories that explore humanity and the way in which we interact with one another, as well as all the ways we try escaping our pasts, this is worth checking out. Especially in these confusing and scary times. How do you make paper when the world feels like it’s ending? Read this book to find out.

[Rachel (books.glorious.books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for letting me read an advance copy ♥️ This is a collection of adult short stories, that made me think back to all those thought-inducing stories we’d read in our high school literature textbooks! My favorites in this series were: Story to Tell Around a Campfire, Feeding Lucifer, and The Man Who Lives in my Shower.

Overall, the book has a melancholic feel, with only a few bright spots. I read just a story a day, and I felt like that was the right balance without getting too somber.

I’d recommend this book if you’re a fan of adult literature, beautiful/sweeping writing and stories that make you stop and think about life.

*Contains adult content, including language (a few f-words) and sexual content (only a few lines; nothing super drawn out or detailed).

[Christa Colaizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Make Paper When the World is Ending is a collection of short stories sure to draw you right in. Reading these adorably quirky stories was phenomenal. Woodburn’s writing allows the reader to fall in love with characters, be entertained, and become emotional all within the short confines of the stories. As a reader, I feel like it is sometimes hard to create good character development in a short-story format, but Woodburn has truly accomplished this and set the bar high! I found myself getting emotional at some of the stories, and when a writer can bring that out in me, they have done their job well. These stories are short and sweet, leaving you entertained and never bored for a moment. I give 4 bright, shiny stars to this collection, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves short stories!

Special thank you to Dallas Woodburn for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a pleasure to read and review.

[Susan Cushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s impossible to read these stories and not feel “all the feels” of Woodburn’s characters. With a spotlight on friendships and romances—and how the past intrudes into the present—her characters search for meaning in lives disrupted by loss and yet fueled by hope. Several stories remind me of the “choose your own adventure” series, which invite the reader into the plot in an interactive way. A few stories are written through the male voice—a risky job for a female author but masterfully done here. Woodburn’s innovative, creative structure, colorful dialogue, and mystical elements sit in that spooky place in literary fiction on the edge of noir. As Erin, the protagonist in the title story, “How to Make Paper When the World is Ending,” says: “Sometimes stories are all we have.”—Susan Cushman, author of eight books including Friends of the Library (short stories,) John and Mary Margaret (novel,) and Pilgrim Interrupted (memoir)

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply an excellent set of stories. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I guess I should not have been surprised since this author is rather prolific, and has lots of highly rated books. Short stories are art unto themselves, and she's master them here. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

[noramc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide array of short stories, some more impactful than others. Neither story was bad, yet neither was intensely gripping to warrant a 5 star for me. A solid 3.5 stars from me, an enjoyable read and a nice way to spend a day, but won’t stay with me for very long.

All in all this collection of short stories taught me to be appreciative of what we have, how we can only go forward, never back. It taught me to appreciate a story and how you can, with simple measures, change the narrative of it, whilst also making me understand that a story is not enough, it is never the same as the lived experience. It made me sing Christmas songs in May and shed a tear of the loss of my grandmother and want to hug the people I love. To me, this book is about loss in many different ways.

My favourite stories were frozen windmills, how to make spinach-artichoke lasagna three weeks after your best friend’s funeral, and the man who lives in my shower.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Aina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An apt collection in this time of grief and ghosts - spiritual ghosts, emotional ghosts, ghosts of the past, ghosts of what could have been - and how they can haunt us. The stories are short and sweet, some I wish were longer so I could stay in that world and absorb every moment. There is so much sadness here yet also hopeful and affirming. My picks of the bunch:

"Story To Tell Around A Campfire" - a sliding door story where a cabin trip could be romantic, or turn into horror
"How To Make Paper When The World Is Ending" - a tale of love and loss with the background of an ecological disaster
"Frozen Windmills" - a woman struggles to deal in the aftermath of a friend's death
"Dirt" - a man reminisces about his life as he finds himself stuck in an unfortunate situation

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

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[Mahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to make paper when the world is Ending

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dallas Woodburn for the ARC of this book in exchange for a genuine review.
I was browsing through NetGalley catalogue of books, and this title caught my attention. I was immediately intrigued and requested it. This book is a collection of short stories, I have not read the authors previous work, so I dived in it blindly. Well, I am glad that I did pick this book, the stories in this book were very light-hearted, poignant, reflective, hopeful and surrounded by a whirlwind of emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed several stories in this book, majority of the stories in this book were relating to loss whether it was due to death or separation.

My favourite stories from the collection were:

How to Make Paper When the World is Ending, relating to climate change and how to stay hopeful in difficult times.

Recieptless, a very poignant and touching story of a man who goes to a store to return his girlfriend’s heart not expecting to need a receipt to return the heart he purchased but waits eagerly to get this own heart back.

How to Make Spinach-Artichoke Lasangna, another heart-breaking story of a woman remembering her best friend after she dies from a fatal car accident. How she reminisces on the time spent with her friend and now there is a bid void now left to fill. It was interesting how Dallas embedded a recipe in between the story making the story so resonating.

Real Love a story, relating to separation, I was lost on the beetle referencing, but it was bittersweet story about love and loss.

The Man Who Lives in My Shower, a woman moves into a new condo and there is a man in the shower this was a very intriguing and mysterious story. We learn that the man is a ghost of her dead lover.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. The stories were easy to read, some were shorter than others especially the ones that I was so hooked on and didn’t want to end. I really like Dallas Woodburn writing style and look forward to reading any of his upcoming work.

[Kristin Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first collection of short stories I’ve ever read and it was absolutely wonderful! Stories filled with hope, tackling inner demons, taking that leap of faith, finding what makes you happy… Each one was just right and left me feeling satisfied but also thinking of the possibilities of how the character’s stories could continue. I always appreciate books and stories that can be uplifting, relatable, and make me feel a wide range of emotions throughout. “Receiptless” honestly hit me in all the feels & is definitely a favorite! I’d recommend to anyone looking for a book of short stories or to those that are wanting a quick but very entertaining read!

Thanks so much to Dallas Woodburn for the opportunity to read the book in advance! 📖💜

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 15 short stories in the collection were unusual and whimsical. Although many of them tended to be bittersweet, I very much enjoyed reading them all.

The characters were well-written, likable, and relatable. Each storyline gave you something to think about. The title story started dark and sad, but it ended with hope, as did several others. Each storyline gave you something to think about. Any detail would just result in spoilers, so I will simply say that I look forward to reading this author again.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dallas Woodburn's collection of stories bursts onto the page with talented storytelling and inventive approaches.

In her opening, she interweaves the characters' divergent paths if the outcome were romantic or scary. How My Parents Fell in Love explores five ways the protagonist's parents could've met. These what-if perspectives make an intriguing statement about the impact of seemingly small decisions.

The titular story, How to Make Paper While the World is Ending, addresses climate change in a wholly human way.

Throughout the collection, Woodburn showcases her ability to take everyday moments and turn them into authentic insights. Five stars!

[Kayleigh Finlayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an eARC.
A book of short stories that somehow are both mundane glimpses in to ordinary people's lives, but also magical at the same time. Every story so different from the last it was a stark reminder that everyone is their own main character in their own lives.
Loved.

[Bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The short stories in the collection were emotional and thought provoking and overall tended to be bittersweet. I enjoyed several and continued to think about them after finishing reading, however I found that others were less memorable and I did not feel that the message came across as well as it could have.

The length of some of the stories was sometimes frustrating - I found that my favourite stories tended to be shorter than I would have liked, while other felt a little too long.

The story that stood out the most to me was The Man Who Lives in My Shower. While my least favourite was the first story, Story to Tell Around a Campfire, which initially made me concerned that I would dislike the rest of the stories, however I’m glad I continued reading.

[Tanishka Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death means love grips tighter, suffocates, becomes spiderwebbed with regret. And regret is messy. It clings to you.

'How to Make Paper When the World is Ending' is a diverse collection of short stories brimming with the loss and grief of everyday life. Dallas Woodburn has compiled some great short stories. They are poignant and compelling. There are melancholic stories. There are eerie stories. There are woeful stories. Some of the stories, however, were mundane. They lacked the good element in them and were awfully long while the good ones were short. My favorites in the collection: Story to Tell Around a Campfire, How to Make Paper When the World is Ending, Frozen Windmills, and The Man Who Lives in My Shower.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! This was an enjoyable collection of short stories! They were mundane, eerie, melancholic, hopeful, all at the same time. Some I found to be more interesting than others- for example, my least favorite was actually the very first one, Story to Tell Around a Campfire, so at first I was a little uncertain of the book. However, the next story (How to Make Paper When The World is Ending) quickly caught my attention, and I enjoyed just about every other story after that. Overall, this was a great and quick evening read that I would recommend for short story lovers.

Favorites: Feeding Lucifer, The Man Who Lives in My Shower, Frozen Windmills

[Carol Ormsby ochs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC. This collection of fiction shorts was a lovely palette cleanser. Sometimes quirky, environmentally conscious, melancholic, at times a little creepy. The author’s stories ranged on a variety of topics and genres, all beautifully written in delicious, chewy language, yet not showy or obtuse. Some of the endings make you go, “Hmmm…,” or “Huh…???”, but this is also done in a way so the reader doesn’t feel inferior to the author. (You know…THOSE authors!) My only real complaint is the e-edition wasn’t formatted appropriately, so it was at times hard to read and tell when speakers had changed.

[SteWin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the paperback online, having read two short stories. Love and romance, youth and old age, accidents and suicide, marriage and divorce, sex, global warming, haunting, death, The Beatles. It’s all here. The author writes well and imaginatively, and the stories are well crafted to sustain the reader’s attention. I give it 4.5 stars. You just have to read it for yourself; it was well worth the money spent.

[Lucy Skyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written but ultimately an unsatisfying and, at times, unsubtle collection. There are plenty of compelling ideas, emotions and characters in here, but I found the execution frustrating. Specifically, I tended to find the length of the stories frustrating: the ones I found the most interesting were usually the shortest, and were weaker for being so, while the longer ones I thought could have ended as Woodburn had made her point a page or two ago. In general, the endings felt a little lacking and I sometimes finished a story wondering what the point was, even if the journey itself had been nice enough.

That said, it was a good and quick evening read and there's certainly some moments of strength here, especially when Woodburn starts to venture into some unusual character voices, and for that reason I wish the stories had been a little more diverse. But at its core these are grounded, quiet and emotive stories that showcase a lot of potential.

Stand Outs: Feeding Lucifer, Frozen Windmills & The Man Who Lives In My Shower.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very picky about short stories, and so when I say that I really enjoyed this collection I don’t mean it lightly! (“How to Make Spinach-Artichoke Lasagna Three Weeks After Your Best Friend’s Funeral” is truly one of the best stories I’ve read in a very long time.) A lot of this collection deals with multiple forms of grief in an honest, unconventional way, which makes me love it even more. Plus, the cover is fabulous and the title is perfect. Really, really liked this one.

[Tejaswini Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by the author! I really enjoyed the first book - "Thanks, Carissa for Ruining my Life" - written by the author, and I must say that I had great expectations from this book too. And I was not disappointed.

This book is a collection of short stories. Each story is different and yet similar in some way or other. Almost all stories are based on the struggles of people's life and how they feel that their world has ended, yet they try to move on with their lives just as any person would do. The length of each story varies, a few are really small whereas a few are long.

Overall, it is a well written book that can be read in one sitting. It is recommended to all those who enjoy short stories and those who would like a quick read.

[Monica | readingbythebay · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5. Excellent! Woodburn explores themes of loss and grief, but does so gently, in a way that still leaves room for wit and humor intermixed within the melancholy. Pick this up for the emotionally charged “The Man Who Lives in My Shower,” and the unique “Story to Tell around a Campfire” in which we follow a couple on two alternating parallel tracks – a romantic version of their story, and a terrifying version. This would be so fun as a movie. Brilliant!

[Elaine Clark Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely enjoyed this book! Dallas has covered love, fear, pain, sorrow, loneliness, joy and hope; almost everything under the sun. I had no trouble choosing a favorite story; The Man Who Lives In My Shower was both lugubrious and hopeful. Her handling of this story was masterly.

[Anjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story to tell around a campfire
A vague horror story of unnamed people, I liked the writing style and the images it threw up, but it was not a complete story (Intentionally, I would assume) – 3 Stars

How to make paper when the world is ending
A dystopian possible future, where the worst events have come to pass, and people are eking out a semi-normal existence. A fair with booths is used to showcase the world. It felt both sad and true. – 3 stars

Feeding lucifer
A girl makes a new friend but finds out that she is not as good a person as she thinks herself to be. It is an interesting retrospective angle. – 3 stars

Goosepimples
A sleazy man who does not see himself as such. I did not see the point of the whole story, some people may get more out of it then I did. – 2 stars

How my parents fell in love
Speculations of the different ways a couple meet, fall for each other and live forever together. It was a slightly different tone than the ones before, slightly more hopeful. – 3 stars

ReceiptLess
A futuristic concept where hearts are recorded as transactions like many other things. Also a positive ending to a system that was well introduced in a short time. – 3 stars

Dog Sitting
A man starts off the story making it seem he is helping for selfish reasons, but we see more sides of him by the time the story wraps up. – 3 stars

Frozen Windmills
a woman burdened with guilt about a past incident has a new mistake she has not yet confessed to either. 3 stars

How to make spinach-artichoke lasagna
A coping mechanism for loss. Assisted by instructions for food. 3 stars

Real Love
A Beatles cover band with a sad man as part of it. It was well written, but not something I like reading.- 2 stars

The man who lives in my shower
An unexpected view into someone’s thoughts. The title is a very literal representation of the core event in the plot. – 4 star

Tarzan
The coping of trauma. The stories go back and forth in time to give us the full picture and how different people might use the absence of something. – 3 stars

Pieces
Running out of time before the end, a little too similar to some of the earlier ones, with the same sad feeling at the very end. – 2 stars

Sustenance
Simple depiction of a relationship between mother and daughter through food. – 3 stars

Dirt
Age and retrospection, also well written, made me uncomfortable but was a little too sad- 2 stars

The author has an interesting writing style, I think it is the nature of short stories to be a little abrupt and to hide some punches within. Most of these stories were very real and dealt with the more depressing truths of lives, and if I was the sort of person who revelled in such introspection, I would rate this higher than I did. I definitely recommend it to people who might find this review intriguing.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

[Bookish.Caterpillar · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌸 That’s only because you have gotten used to frozen bread,” he said. “You forget what real toast tastes like.” - Dallas Woodburn

🌸 That moment when you get this feeling that the character in the book is actually talking to you. 🙈 Because yes I eat frozen bread. And yes I hate it when I have to separate the frozen bread slices. But why I still eat it? That’s another story.

🌸 But let’s not talk about the frozen bread. Let’s talk about the beautiful book cover. And that book title. Isn’t it a perfect combo?

🌸 Now coming to the book itself. It’s a collection of short stories that’s definitely gonna make you ponder over. I loved the fact that how each story was totally different and portrayed a wide array of emotions. I always have this issue with the short stories that once you get hold of them and start enjoying, they end. Same happened with this book. There was this short story “Story to tell around a campfire”, it was so good that I never wanted it to end. Though few of the stories were definitely out of my league but overall it was an enjoyable read.

🌸 This is a MUST read for all the short stories fans out there. Thanks to the author for sending me the Ebook in exchange of an honest review.

[Skyler Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tw for suicide and sexual assault on a minor in two stories in this book I talk about in my review!

First I want to say thank you to Koehler Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This story collection contained wonderful stories about grief among other subjects. My favorite story was the titular story, I found it amazing and horrifyingly realistic. I believe it should’ve been the first story. I also particularly enjoyed feeding Lucifer, which was nerve wrackingly otherworldly, dog sitting, which I found cute and hopeful, how to make spinach artichoke lasagna 3 weeks after your best friends funeral, which I thought was a great exploration of grief and how it works, dirt, which I found really sad but good, and the man who lives in my shower, which I thought was an amazing examination of grief but that it needed a trigger warning for suicide. While some of the stories in this collection were kind of meh for me, the only one I truly didn’t like was goosepimples, I found it nasty and as a childhood sexual assault survivor I would’ve very much appreciated a trigger warning and I didn’t like how the author excused the behavior. Overall, anyone who likes short stories will find a piece for them in this collection. I rate it 3/5 stars.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give "How to Make Paper When the World is Ending" a solid 3 stars! This collection of short stories had a unique blend of emotions - from the mundane to the eerie, and from melancholic to hopeful. While some stories captivated me more than others, like "Feeding Lucifer," "The Man Who Lives in My Shower," and "Frozen Windmills," the very first story, "Story to Tell Around a Campfire," didn't quite resonate with me, and that made me a bit hesitant at the start.

However, as I delved deeper into the book, "How to Make Paper When The World is Ending" hooked me right in, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying most of the other stories. Although the collection didn't leave a lasting impact, it provided a pleasant and quick evening read for those who appreciate short stories. While I wished for a more cohesive theme to tie the stories together, it was still an enjoyable and easy-going read, and I'd recommend it to fellow short story enthusiasts.

[mahnoor ~ nursays · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable collection of stories with themes of grief, loss, and finding yourself after that loss. The writing style suits the subject matter of the stories, making you feel nostalgic for something in the past.

A lot of the stories ask the question of 'what if?' and I found that these were the stories I liked best. My favourites were The Man Who Lives in My Shower, Windmills, Pieces. They evoked such strong melancholy, but the author doesn't leave us with the feelings of sadness instead gives a ray of hope like the titular story in which the protagonist is recycling paper despite facing the end of the world. It's the kind of realistic optimistic that makes this a fascinating read.