On Thursday, April 24th, the author of the 2024-2025 The BIG Read Book, True Biz, Sara Nović visited Owens Toledo-area-campus from 10 a. m to 2 p.m., where she discussed her novel, signed copies and hosted a creative writing exercise.
The event was orchestrated by Jen Hazel, Professor of English, and Jane Berger, Director of Library Services, who’ve been talking about True Biz the entire year for Let’s Talk Big, their radio show/podcast. On Let’s Talk Big, Hazel and Berger breakdown the BIG Read book each episode chapter-by-chapter. Let’s Talk Big can be viewed on the Owens Outcomm Media Center’s YouTube channel: OutCommPlus and listened to on the Owens OutComm website, the Owens Community College Radio on Thursdays at 7 and 10 in the a.m. and p.m. and on the RSS Feed.
The Center for Fine and Preforming Art’s auditorium was packed with students and book lovers from all over Toledo, eagerly waiting to hear Sara Nović’s story. Hazel introduced Nović and listed some of her achievements and history.
“Sara Novic is the author of the New York Times Best Seller and Reese’s Book Club Pick, True Biz and Girl at War, which won the American Library Association Alex Award and was a finalist for the New York Times Book Press. She holds an MFA from Columbia University where she studied fiction and literary translation and is an instructor of Deaf studies and creative writing.”
Nović, then, came on stage where she communicated using American Sign Language (ASL) and was voice interpreted. She began explaining how she didn’t know if books mattered anymore.
“I submitted a new project to my editor. I emailed my editor, and I said, “Here’s a book. Do books matter anymore?” Right now, a different course of society tells us they don’t, they are not important. In education and research, it shows us that fewer students are reading and that no one is wasting money on books, it’s not worth it…Throughout my time being an author, sometimes it can feel pointless. But still everyday I sit at my desk, and I write.”
Nović then discussed hear life and how she found inspiration into creating True Biz.
“People often ask me why I wrote this book, why I wrote True Biz. A few different professionals have asked me this question, and I have given them a few different answers. So, did I plan to write this book? No, I didn’t. I didn’t have a plan to write any book. I don’t have a plan; I don’t have an agenda. For me, writing feels like a darkroom. I am walking through peaking step-by-step with a little flashlight, and it illuminates. It illuminates different parts of the room, different parts of the story. And maybe I don’t know anything about the story until I bump into it. So, when writing True Biz, I did have a few moments like that.”
After Nović’s book discussion, there was a raffle for some BIG Read swag and prizes for many that partook in the event. Some of the things that were given out were an Amazon Fire Kindle Tablet, battery packs, string bags and much more!
The book signing was next where students and fans lined up to get their copies of True Biz signed by Sara Nović herself, as well as ask further questions about the book to Nović.
Finally, Nović hosted a creative writing workshop where students learned about grammar and how to write creatively that is pleasing for the reader. Novic started going over the basics–grammar to make her point.
“Let’s go deeper. Okay, I want to make sure that we are all on the same page. Most people know these different parts of speech. Nouns; person, animal, place or thing. Verbs: action word, describes what the noun is doing. Adjectives; describes the qualities of a noun. Adverbs; describes the qualities of a verb. Right? Kind of test yourself here with a sentence. Can you identify them all?”
After the creative writing exercise, Nović answered a couple more questions and headed off to Owens Findlay area-campus for a book discussion and to sign books, as well.
Stay tuned for next year’s BIG Read, where we will discuss another book and hopefully, have the same meet-and-greet experience we had on Thursday with Sara Nović.
