Susanne Davis, born and raised in Norwich, now lives in Glastonbury and writes award-winning short stories and essays.

She is a voice for the oppressed and the poor as revealed in her published works, “The Power of Education.” “Gravity Hill” and “The Appointed Hour.”

Her piece “The Power of Education” won best personal essay from the Connecticut Press Club in 2019.

“The Ancestor’s Voice” is one story of many in her collection “The Appointed Hour.” It takes place in a fictionalized town of Norwich dubbed Bellaport. She is working on the second draft of a novel titled “As Long as the Sweet Grass Grows,” which takes place in New London.

Having received much acclaim, Davis’ short stories appear in American Short Fiction, Notre Dame review, and Harvard Law Bulletin.

One of her favorite authors is James Baldwin, as she carries around a copy of “The Discovery of What it Means to be an American.”

“Surrounded by Sleep” by Akhil Sharma is another of Davis’s favorites. Her list of favorite authors is long as she completes her own novel called “Stray Dog. Watch Over.”

She is sixth-generation of a local dairy farm that her father still owns.

A world traveler, Davis possesses an interest in social issues. Her response to the current pandemic is that it is a “time to help each other.” and she asserts, “I believe we can.”

Lisa Shasha lives in Norwich.