Hello Readers,
Today I am going to introduce you to yet
another brilliant author – Nancy Grossman. Her debut novel – A World Away,
which received The Best Books of the Year 2012 award – is bound to take you through
a very fascinating teenage ride on an Amish vehicle and will leave you craving
for more.
So here I welcome Ms. Grossman. *Round of
Applause*
Hi
Nancy, tell us something about yourself.
I earned BSW and MSW degrees from the
University of Illinois and began my career as a social worker, but discovered
that I was not very good at it. So I went back to school to earn an MA in the
Teaching of Writing from Columbia College.
I’ve been teaching at DePaul University in Chicago since 1987 and
currently hold the position of Associate Director of the University Honors
Program. I love my work advising Honors
students, overseeing student-life programming, and managing Honors
admissions. I also teach an Honors
Senior Seminar on Community Service Studies and several courses for the English
Department, including Writing for Young Adults, Introduction to Creative
Writing, and Reading and Writing Young Adult Literature.
I live in a Chicago suburb with my husband,
Ken Fishbain, a hospital administrator.
My daughter, Maggie, now a college student, grew up with the manuscript,
and I have some early drafts with her notes in the margins. My son, Kevin, now
a sports journalist, helped me with a later draft by telling me what really
happened at those homecoming parties.
You
were a Social Worker earlier, I'm curious to know how writing happened.
I was not happy in Social Work, and sought to
find some creative outlets. On a whim I signed up for a Fiction Writing
course at a nearby college and I was hooked. I went on to complete a
combined MA degree in teaching and writing and leave social work for a new
career in teaching at DePaul University in Chicago.
Did
you write your début novel about the Amish because you too believe that they’re
really interesting and traditional people?
I enjoyed teaching, but didn't have much time
for my own writing. And I didn't have any ideas for a subject. Then,
during a vacation with two girlfriends, I visited an Amish community and had
dinner with an Amish family. There I met an Amish teen and was filled
with curiosity about her life and speculation about what it would be like for
her to see our world. That's how my novel got started. I had always been
interested in the Amish, and how they've managed to maintain their traditions
while everything around them changes. I enjoyed the research I did to
learn more about their world and try to make my book as accurate as possible.
What
are you working on at present; give us an insight on your upcoming book (s).
I've recently finished a middle grade book about
a family that takes in a Syrian war orphan as a foster child. The book is
currently in search of a publisher and I walk around all day with crossed
fingers! I have some ideas for a new YA book about a teen who discovers
shocking news about the mother who abandoned her ten years earlier. But
that's in early stages.
This
might be a little off question, but have you ever visited my country – India?
If yes, which place and anything you’d like to tell; If No, any such plans?
No, I've never had the opportunity to travel
to India, but my close friend, a travel writer, just returned from your country
and regaled me with the pictures and stories.
Where
can we find more about you and your lovely work?
To conclude, Please share a message for the
readers.
My message
for readers’ is to find your own voice, and don't be afraid to reinvent
yourself. Adult life is a winding road, so start walking it!
Thank you once again for sparing your precious time for this interview and enlightening us with your wise words. We wish you tons of good luck and success in all your future endeavors.