Colebank, Susan 1976-

PERSONAL:

Born May, 12, 1976, in Logan, UT. Education: Northern Arizona University, B.A., 1996, M.A., 1999. Hobbies and other interests: Fashion design, kickboxing, painting, and running.

ADDRESSES:

Home—NH. E-mail—susancolebank@gmail.com.

CAREER:

Writer. Has worked in various positions in the publication industry, including assistant to the editor in chief, magazine and newspaper writer, newspaper cartoonist, magazine editor, online grammar and research writing instructor, and creative writing instructor; has also worked in various positions including convenience store clerk, public relations assistant, barista, waitress, buying office assistant, assistant men's department manager, T-shirt designer, movie usher, sandwich artist, and babysitter.

WRITINGS:

Black Tuesday, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Also author of the blog Susan Colebank Blogspot; contributor to the blog 5 Randoms.

SIDELIGHTS:

Susan Colebank, a resident of New Hampshire, was raised in the popular vacation resort town of Lake Havasu, Arizona. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with her B.A. in 1996 and her M.A. in 1999. Having discovered her passion for reading and her talent for writing at a young age, she worked in various positions within the publication industry, including magazine and newspaper writer, magazine editor, and creative writing instructor, before becoming a fiction novelist. On her Web site, Colebank explained her motivations for becoming an author and offered her advice for burgeoning writers. She stated, "I was a pretty good writer during school, but I never wanted to be a writer. For a good ten years of my life, I wanted to be a fashion designer…. After a little soul searching that included being the ‘Book Goddess’ at an independent bookstore and working at a New York fashion magazine, I realized that writing fiction was where my heart was." Colebank also spoke to those that may question their career decisions and suggested, "I think you should seriously consider being a writer if you play the ‘what if’ game in your head all the time."

In 2007, Colebank published Black Tuesday via Dutton Children's Books, a fiction novel that is targeted toward a young-adult demographic. Black Tuesday is the account of protagonist Jayne Thompkins and her evolution from an intelligent, athletic, stylish, and well-organized young woman into a much more reckless version of her creative self. The story's supporting characters include her sister Ellie, who has infatuations with boys and a predilection for drinking despite her diabetic condition, and her mother, who is an intense, job-oriented woman with local celebrity status. Because she is the eldest, the most conventionally successful, and is generally concerned for her sister's well-being, Jayne feels responsible for Ellie. A major plot turn in the narrative occurs in the form of a car accident, during which another individual is killed when Jayne recklessly fails to stop at a traffic intersection. Jayne quickly enters into a depressive state and attempts to change her life course in a series of personal statements that include dangerous boyfriends, haircuts, and body art. The narrative then becomes primarily concerned with her poor choices and the changes she goes through in dealing with her emotions.

Jayne grows from being "uptight and didactic to … becoming more lenient with herself and more reasonable in her expectations"; accordingly, Black Tuesday provides the reader with a good amount of "melodrama," according to a contributor for Kirkus Reviews.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July 1, 2007, Deborah Stevenson, review of Black Tuesday.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2007, review of Black Tuesday.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August 1, 2007, Mary Arnold, review of Black Tuesday, p. 237.

ONLINE

Susan Colebank MySpace Page,http://www.myspace.com/susancolebank (July 15, 2008).

Official Susan Colebank Web site,http://susancolebank.com (July 15, 2008).