Flyer for the event on EventBrite website.
On Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m., author AJ Lauer will return to her hometown to present her new book, “My Monster Mungo,” at the Boulder Bookstore. The event will feature a reading, a discussion of her creative process and an interactive activity inviting the audience to “meet their monsters.”
For Lauer, the venue itself carries personal weight.
“It’s a dream bookstore,” she said. “It’s one of those places where you can just get lost for hours. When my book came out, I knew that if there was any way to do an event at Boulder Bookstore, I wanted to do it. It’s kind of feeding that young writer in me and saying, ‘Look at you, you’ve published a book.’”
At first glance, “My Monster Mungo” looks like a children’s book, complete with illustrations and a short narrative format. But Lauer is quick to point out that the story is intended for adults. Rather than presenting readers with hundreds of pages of data, research and self-help exercises, she wants to explore impostor syndrome through a playful lens.
“I think adults should get to learn in fun ways too,” she said. “When I was thinking about this idea of monsters, it seemed fun to write a bedtime story where the monster is actually the good guy at the end.”
Catherine Hyler, a sophomore studying psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder, said the book’s format makes the topic approachable. “Learning psychology can be a bit overwhelming at times, especially learning about mental health,” Hyler said. “I think a children’s book for adults is really cool to learn about such a hard topic.”
The lighter format allows Lauer to approach impostor syndrome without the heaviness that often comes with it. It’s a reminder that even serious struggles can be handled with creativity and imagination.
One of the central themes of “My Monster Mungo” is re-examining what it means to succeed. Lauer encourages readers, especially students, to step back from perfectionism and ask whether the standards they set are realistic or even necessary.
“When your own monster shows up, take a moment and look at what it means to be competent,” she said. “Do you really need to get 110% on your exam? Or is 90% going to be sufficient? Have that conversation with your monster. Once we start to understand what good enough really means, the pressure starts to decrease.”
It’s advice that resonates with college students, many of whom struggle with self-doubt during their academic journey. Lauer hopes her book and her talk will reach CU Boulder students in particular, offering reassurance during a time of transition and growth.
Lauer wants to remind students that we’re here for a reason. “You got into CU in the first place, which means you deserve to be here. When you feel those feelings of self-doubt, remind yourself that someone saw potential in you and let you in. Your job while you’re here is to build confidence and skills, not to already know everything,” she said.
She added that the book can be especially valuable for students facing milestones such as entering the job market, preparing to graduate or stepping into teaching roles as graduate assistants. In each of these situations, she noted, impostor syndrome often makes people question their competence.
During her Boulder Bookstore event, Lauer plans to guide attendees through an activity to help them imagine and personify their own “monster.” For some, it may take the form of a traditional scary creature. For others, it may look like a shapeless blob or even resemble an influential person from their life. By giving the inner critic a face, Lauer believes people can start to interact with it differently.
“So now that you know about monsters, I encourage you to get to know your monster,” she said. “Once you can picture it, you can have a conversation with it.”
Ultimately, “My Monster Mungo” is less about banishing self-doubt and more about befriending it. The book reminds readers that the voice of insecurity doesn’t have to be an enemy. Instead, it can serve as a reminder to reflect on expectations, embrace imperfection and move forward with confidence.
Contact CU Independent Arts Editor Lou Leclercq at louison.leclercq@colorado.edu
