MITCHELL, Sharon 1962-

PERSONAL: Born October 27, 1962, in Fort Deposit, AL. Education: Carleton College, Northfield, MN, B.A., 1984; Ohio State University, Columbus, M.A., 1987, Ph.D., 1990. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, sports, theater, film.

ADDRESSES: Office—University of Delaware, 261 Perkins Student Center, Newark, DE 19718. Agent—Sharon Friedman, Ralph Vicinanza Agency, 111 8th Ave., Ste. 1501, New York, NY 10011. E-mail—smitch@udel.edu.

CAREER: Boston University, Boston, MA, psychologist and adjunct professor, 1989–94; University of Delaware, Newark, psychologist and assistant professor, 1994–.

MEMBER: American Psychology Association, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), American Counseling Association.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Nothing but the Rent, Dutton (New York, NY), 1998.

Sheer Necessity, Dutton (New York, NY), 1999.

Near Perfect, Dutton (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: Psychologist Sharon Mitchell's debut novel, 1998's Nothing but the Rent, revolves around the lives of four African American women who had studied together at a small college in Minnesota. When these women meet again some years later at a mutual friend's wedding, they rekindle their friendships. These relationships turn into a powerful source of strength for each of them, as they help each other face life's challenges.

In her next book, Sheer Necessity, the author tells the story of Toni Carleton. The mother of two is driven to provide a better life for her daughters and herself through her salon called Sheer Necessity and by getting her college education. As the eldest of four siblings, however, Toni finds herself involved in a range of family problems, including marriage and drug problems in her sisters' lives. Lillian Lewis, writing in Booklist, noted that the "book will surely delight fans of her first novel." A Publishers Weekly contributor called the story "entertaining" and a "competent tale."

Near Perfect is a sequel to Nothing but the Rent and revolves around Roxanne, whose ideal life comes apart. Although married to a star football player, who is an ideal mate, Roxanne soon faces a scandal involving her husband, who begins to lie about it. Other characters include Roxanne's previously inattentive mother and a stripper with a plan to live a first-class life. Lillian Lewis, again writing in Booklist, called the novel "entertaining and uplifting." A Kirkus Reviews contributor referred to the story as a "warmhearted contemporary romance from psychologist Mitchell, once again with an appealing, gutsy heroine and nicely drawn supporting characters." Nancy Flowers Wilson noted in Black Issues Book Review that the author "crates a colorful and vivid story."

Mitchell told CA: "I like books that are page-turners. Therefore, I was influenced by many contemporary mystery authors, such as Mary Higgins Clark and Sue Grafton. I also enjoy a well-told story. Gloria Naylor and J. California Cooper are two of the best storytellers of African American life. I was motivated to write Nothing but the Rent because I wanted to show the less than perfect lives of well-educated, professional African American women. I also wanted to convey the importance of establishing and maintaining strong support networks with other women. As a psychologist, I'm extremely familiar with the personal, social, and professional concerns of women and the impact that sex-role socialization has on how women feel about themselves. These are often themes I write about."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 36, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2002

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, November, 1999, review of Sheer Necessity, p. 26; November-December, 2001, Nancy Flowers Wilson, review of Near Perfect, p. 63.

Booklist, January 1, 1998, Lillian Lewis, review of Nothing but the Rent, p. 778; October 1, 1999, Lillian Lewis, review of Sheer Necessity, p. 344; February 15, 2000, Vanessa Bush, review of Sheer Necessity, p. 1082; September 1, 2001, Lillian Lewis, review of Near Perfect, p. 52.

Detroit Free Press, October 21, 2001, review of Near Perfect, p. 4G.

Essence, November, 2001, Patrik Henry Bass, review of Near Perfect, p. 80.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001, review of Near Perfect, p. 1056.

Publishers Weekly, September 13, 1999, review of Sheer Necessity, p. 59; September 17, 2001, review of Near Perfect, p. 54.

ONLINE

All About Romance, http://www.likesbooks.com/ (July 25, 2003), Jane Jorgenson, review of Sheer Necessity.

BookRemarks, http://www.book-remarks.com/ (October 23, 2005), "Sharon Mitchell Interview."

Books 'n' Bytes, http://www.booksnbytes.com/ (July 25, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of Near Perfect.