BOOKS

SUSAN STRAIGHT

Novelist

Susan Straight doesn’t experiment with narration or construct bizarre linguistic puzzles, but she does venture into territories that some have thought inappropriate -- namely, that of being a white woman in her 40s writing about the interior lives of black characters. Straight has always challenged the notion that one must “write only what you know,” preferring instead to delve into the emotional issues that move her the most. Any objections have been muffled by critical praise for her lyrical prose style and the nuanced approach that she takes with her characters.

In her new novel, “A Million Nightingales,” which will be published in March, she steps back in time, describing a mixed-race girl in 19th century Louisiana and her efforts to leave the plantation and find freedom. With every book, the canvas seems to grow, suggesting that there’s no limit to where Straight will take readers next.