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off the shelfHow Nobles Inspired My Young Adult NovelOne of the first things at Nobles thatstole my breath away was the Castle. Iwas a 15-year-old African girl living in theBahamas, considering a new school in anew country. I knew my decision to leavehome and brave the cold weather wouldlead to an adventure. But I could neverhave predicted that my fairytale schoolwould one day inspire a young adultfantasy novel.My long road to publishing began inthe elective African-American Literature.Kate Coon’s class required usto share our essays with our peers. Iremember trembling as I read my story,fearing that no one would understandmy Bahamian accent. Afterward, Mrs.Coon said to me, “I know you want to bea doctor, but I think you should considerbecoming an author. You have a gift forstorytelling.”I absorbed the compliment butdiscarded the idea. I had grown up knowingthat I needed to have a “reliable”profession. Expatriates from my parents’generation expected their children topursue professional jobs to help supporttheir elders. My short time at Noblesrattled that foundation. I’d started givingmyself permission to adapt to my changingworld and search for my own path.One of the most significantthings I took away frommy time at Nobles was anappreciation for the importanceof my own voice—literally.One day, during afield trip, a classmate, RuthMacQuiddy ’94, heard mesinging along to the radioand encouraged me to dosomething with my altovoice. Next thing I knew, I was a memberof Octazz, an eight-person jazz and popvocal group. I quickly became obsessedwith the arts, auditioning for musicalsand plays. The creative part of me, whichhad diminished itself in order to allow afuture scientist to shine, began vying forattention.After two years, Nobles sent me toStanford armed with dreams and ideasthat ultimately derailed my pre-medtrack—something I don’t regret one bit.With a bachelor’s degree in economicsand master’s in sociology, I launcheda soul-pop music career. I was writingfor a living; my words on paper becamemanifest in songs. And these songs mademe a storyteller of love, heartbreak andhope. They took my voice to radio andmusic television.In 2007, Bill Bussey invitedme to perform at Assembly.I was thrilled and grateful toshare a part of me that had itsgenesis at Nobles. The visitalso revived my fascinationwith the Castle. I reacquaintedmyself with the nuances thatmade it special. I daydreamedabout the rumored secretpassageways. That fairytalefeeling returned, and this time it lingered.Not long after my performance atNobles, I decided to take a break frommusic. An idea for a novel had gripped myimagination. What if a secret paranormalspy academy existed underneath aregular boarding school, and the humansknew nothing about it? I didn’t haveto look far for inspiration. And when Ineeded an extra pair of eyes on my firstfew chapters, I knew whom to call: Mrs.Coon. Her enthusiasm about my venturewas electric. And even though we’d stayedin distant touch over the years, sendingher my early drafts made one thing clear:I had fostered a teacher-student relationshipthat didn’t end with graduation.In Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four,several elements are drawn from myown experience. For example, I wroteIf You Could Be MineSara Farizan ’03(Algonquin, 2013)Sara Farizan’s debut young adultnovel takes on the taboo subject oflesbian love in Iran. The protagonist,Sahar, loves her best friend.The tension is set in the novel’s firstlines: “Nasrin pulled my hair when I told her I didn’t wantto play with dolls. I wanted to play football withthe neighborhood boys.” The story chronicles Sahar’sstruggle as she realizes the stolen kisses—potentiallypunishable by death in Iran—will end when Nasrin marries.While homosexuality is illegal in Iran, transgenderdisorder is recognized as a medical condition. Sahar contemplatesa sex change as she grasps at an antidoteto her imminent loss.If You Could Be Mine addresses social and culturalissues, while at its heart it is a story of love and loss. Ongoodreads.com, one commenter writes, “Farizan’s debutbook hits that wonderful overlap in the Venn diagram ofbooks-parents-want-their-kids-to-read and books-kidsactually-will-want-to-read.”The book is available for preorder on Amazon and isscheduled for an Aug. 20, 2013, release.24 Nobles spring 2013