True Biz

Nović is an American author, activist, and creative writing professor who graduated from Emerson College and holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she studied fiction and literary translation. She is an assistant professor in the creative writing program at Stockton University.

Although True Biz is fictional, it is directly influenced by Nović’s life. In an interview about the novel with Bomb Magazine, Nović, who is a Deaf person, reveals that—like Charlie—she came late to the Deaf community. Also, like her protagonist, Nović attended mainstream schools, an experience that taught her how to lay low to make her deafness appear less burdensome to her hearing counterparts. This experience is directly reflected in Charlie’s education in a mainstream system; the character goes out of her way to fit in, even if it means degrading herself.

Although most Deaf children are born to hearing parents, a remarkably small percentage of parents of Deaf children learn sign language. Nović has a small child; as a result, she has been “thinking a lot about language and how it affects one’s worldview” (Nović, Sara. “Deafness Is Not a Monolith.” Interview by Annie Liontas. Bomb Magazine, 12 April 2022). Her personal fascinations with language and the ways that it shapes people are evident in the novel, in which the value of language is a central conceit. Nović notes that language is about more than simply being a tool to express oneself. It also concerns “the way that you can make connections or make space for new thoughts” (Nović, “Deafness Is Not a Monolith”).

Nović’s characterization of Charlie, who enters River Valley with virtually no knowledge of ASL, explores this idea. Though she has a rough start to her journey, Charlie finds within weeks of being at the school that sign language enables her to forge deeper friendships and consider new ideas about herself and the world at large.

Nović’s staunch advocacy for Deaf people and disability rights is also evident in the novel, namely through the political awakening of Charlie, who comes to realize that the world around her—including the Deaf community—is corrupt and disheartening. Perhaps the clearest connection between Nović’s real-life activism and the book is the inclusion of chapter segments that directly address and educate readers about certain aspects of Deaf history and culture. By providing readers with historical and cultural context, Nović invites readers to understand that deafness encompasses more than simply the inability to hear. She draws attention to Deaf history and culture to make the full range of experiences and the identities of Deaf people as distinct individuals evident.