Susan Straight told Cuesta College students that storytelling, lived experiences and community shaped both her writing and everyday life during a campus Q&A. 

Straight spoke on Tuesday in the 5400 Building to about 40 students and faculty as part of the school’s Book of the Year program, which features her 2025 novel “Sacrament.” The event was moderated by English instructor Matthew Davis and focused on writing, career paths and the impact of COVID-19. 

“Even just to be a human every single day, don’t you have to tell a story?” Straight said. “You do.”

Straight was born and raised in Riverside, California. She is a novelist and longtime professor at the University of California, Riverside, and is known for writing about working-class communities, immigration, and life in inland Southern California. She told her students that her work centers on “pride in a sense of place,” especially in regions often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

Throughout the talk, Straight emphasized that storytelling is not limited to writers. She connected it to careers in business, medicine, education and technology, arguing that all fields rely on narrative to communicate ideas and connect with people. Straight also discussed how her latest novel was shaped by COVID-19, particularly the experiences of essential workers. Drawing from her own neighborhood, she described how nurses, EMTs and laborers faced the virus firsthand while others could isolate themselves. 

“I wanted to write about what it was like to be a nurse or a doctor or an EMT, to be the only person with that patient,” Straight said. 

She shared personal stories, including neighbors who became seriously ill and the emotional toll on frontline workers. These real-life experiences influenced her portrayal of characters, including an ICU nurse who comforts patients in isolation. Straight also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in writing, noting that while technology is becoming more common, authentic storytelling remains distinct. She said her students are focused on developing their own voices rather than relying on AI tools, especially because they are writing fiction. 

In addition to writing, Straight spoke about her background as a first-generation college student and growing up in a low-income community. She encouraged students to draw from their own experiences and surroundings when telling stories.

“Being able to tell narratives comes from listening,” Straight said. 

The event concluded with a Q&A session where students asked about her writing process, including whether she outlines her novels. Straight said her approach varies depending on the project, but stressed that revision and feedback are essential parts of writing.