Michelle Fiordaliso is an award-winning writer, journalist, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work explores belonging, rejection, healing, and the experiences that shape a person’s sense of self.

​

Her essay collection, Rejected: Essays on Belonging, follows her journey through loss, change, motherhood, relationships, travel, and the search for connection. Moving from Los Angeles to Paris and other memorable settings, Michelle finds meaning in both major turning points and quiet everyday moments. Her writing is personal and emotionally honest, but it also invites readers to recognize parts of their own lives in hers.

​

Michelle’s articles and essays have appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Hollywood Reporter, and Ms. Her writing and films have received several honors, including a PEN Center USA award for literary fiction.

​

Across her work, Michelle writes with warmth, insight, humor, and a clear-eyed understanding of human vulnerability.