Date: 11/19/2009 to 12/19/2009
by Christian Feuerstein ’94
Nova Ren Suma ’97 is a fiction writer from the Hudson Valley now living in New York City. DANI NOIR, her debut novel for tweens, is out now (for more about DANI NOIR, see the book’s official website daninoir.com). Nova is now at work on her debut YA novel, IMAGINARY GIRLS, which is forthcoming in hardcover tentatively in Summer 2011. Nova was a fiction fellow with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), a resident at the MacDowell Colony, and will be a resident at Yaddo in 2010. She holds an MFA in fiction from Columbia University, where she was co-editor-in-chief of the literary journal COLUMBIA, and a BA in writing & photography from Antioch College.
On Memories of Antioch College: I first heard of Antioch College when I was about sixteen, living in Woodstock, New York. One of my friends in high school happened to be the son of an Antioch professor, and we were talking about colleges we wanted to go to. He said he was going to Antioch College, and I remember asking where it was and then saying no way would I go to college all the way out in Ohio. Funny thing: I applied to a few eclectic liberal arts schools and when it came down to having to make a choice between Hampshire, Bard, and Antioch, Antioch won hands-down. It was the best fit for me—I loved the vibe of the school, the courses offered, the distinctly individual students, and the co-op program. And it was by far the most supportive with financial aid. So I went off to Antioch, even if it was twelve hours away from home. And the son of the professor? He ended up at Antioch College, too.