Susann Cokal tells tales.

“Whether you’re a writer or a reader, fiction is putting yourself in a trance; getting lost in a story.” 

The author of Breath and Bones and Mirabilis, Susann has inhabited fourteenth-century France, the Wild West, and most recently, the Danish Renaissance; always returning to positive reviews. Her third novel, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, is about a Scandinavian royal family whose children are dying, causing political upheaval.

At VCU, Susann trades the kingdom for the classroom, where she teaches fiction writing and contemporary literature, “particularly women writers.” She’s contributed reviews to the New York Times and published enough academic articles to wallpaper Dover Hall.

And Ph.D.s?  She’s got two. Still, fiction is her passion.  Her stories are informed by emotion. Specifically? “Pain,” she says. “I’m not someone who’s grateful for every unpleasant experience; but it’s true that the painful moments give you something to work on, both in life and fiction.”