Louis Stanislaw was born in Paris, France, in the fall of 1982. At a very young age, he began experiencing seizures. Although he was frightened by his classmates’ lack of understanding, he received strong support from his family and a true friend.
After his family moved to the United States before he entered high school, Louis’s interest in writing and art inspired him to pursue a creative path. Later, while attending Oberlin College, he became more open about his seizures as his friends offered encouragement and support.
Louis then attended the prestigious International Film School of Paris to focus on filmmaking. This gave him the opportunity to work on several films before creating the groundbreaking documentary On the Edge: Living with Epilepsy.
By working to remove some of the stigma surrounding epilepsy, the film’s creative interviews explore the issue from several compelling perspectives. On the Edge was shown on PBS and at multiple venues throughout the United States and Canada.
Louis’s focus eventually shifted from filmmaking back to his passion for drawing. He gathered a collection of essays from different writers describing their personal experiences with seizures and created illustrations to accompany each essay.
VOICES from the HEART: Lifting the Veil on Epilepsy was published in 2016 and received considerable praise for its artistic and compassionate tone.
“These affecting and diverse voices take epilepsy out of the shadows and shine the light of understanding and humanity on it from many different perspectives—both personal and medical.”
Inspired by the book’s reception, Louis wrote a story about experiencing a seizure based on a painful childhood experience at school. This became the foundation of his first middle-grade and young adult graphic novel. To keep the story fictional, Louis illustrated the book using imaginative animal characters.
Listen to the Music: Learning About Epilepsy, published in 2020, was met with broad support and encouragement.
Motivated by this positive response, Louis pursued his new career and turned his attention to meditation, a subject he had been studying for a separate project. He explored this topic in his book Throwing Open the Doors: Considering Meditation’s Soothing Effect on Epilepsy, published in 2021, which intrigued and engaged his readers.
In 2025, the next book in the Sam and Ellen series was released. Jenny and Ellen’s Encounters in Outer Space follows a sudden encounter with an old friend as she takes off in a rocket bound for another planet.
After landing, she realizes that she needs the support of her friend and teammates. Together, they confront emerging concerns and improvise solutions to the unexpected challenges they encounter as the adventure unfolds.
Louis’s latest book, Sam and Ellen’s Unexpected Encounters in the Magic Chamber, was published in 2026. The mystery begins when the two friends uncover their neighbor’s hidden chamber and meet a stranger who decides to take them on a mysterious journey.
While traveling, they are contacted by a friend who requests their assistance. As the adventure unfolds, they work together to untangle the surprising events that catch them off guard.
Louis is currently working on his next story, a mystery that blends imaginative storytelling with experiences and tales that fascinated him while growing up.
