From the Stacks: Maurice Carlos Ruffin

LSU Libraries celebrates the research and creativity of LSU faculty through "From the Stacks: LSU Faculty Authors," a monthly Q&A series highlighting recent books written by LSU faculty members. This initiative highlights recent publications, offering insight into the scholarship that shapes the university’s academic community. All faculty-authored books are included in the Libraries’ physical collection and as part of the faculty book list in the LSU Scholarly Repository.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin

LSU Associate Professor of English Maurice Carlos Ruffin brings readers a new novel with The American Daughters (Lexington Books, 2024). The book centers on Ady, a curious, sharp-witted girl, and her fierce mother, Sanite. Enslaved to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the pair spend their days reminiscing about their family’s rebellious and storied history and dreaming of a loving future. When mother and daughter are separated, Ady is left hopeless and directionless until she stumbles into the Mockingbird Inn and meets Lenore, a free Black woman with whom she becomes fast friends.

Tell us about your field of study and what attracted you to it. 

I'm a professor of creative writing in the English department. I've always enjoyed reading literature and I've come to enjoy writing it even more. 

Tell us about your education and work history. 

I've worked as a lawyer in the corporate field, but I went back to school for a graduate degree in creative writing. This helped me publish my first book, We Cast a Shadow, and begin my career as an educator. 

Does writing come easily to you or is it a struggle? 

Sometimes writing is easy and sometimes hard, but I always enjoy it. There are few things more satisfying than publishing a book and discussing it with others. 

What drew you to the specific subject of your book, The American Daughters?  Why was it important to write it?  What do you want readers to take away from your book? 

I'm always curious about untold stories. I noticed that there weren't many novels about African American women living in my hometown of New Orleans in the 1850s. I want readers to know that history is more complicated than we think, but that people in the past are very similar to us. 

Do you have a writing routine?  How long did it take to research/write your book? 

I write about three days a week on average and spend some time researching every week. The research for the book began in 2004, but I learned new information right up to the publication date. 

Are you envisioning a follow-up? 

Yes. My next book is related to it. It's the same family almost 100 years later. 

What authors or works have inspired your writing? 

I love a wide variety of authors from Toni Morrison and Kiese Laymon to Stephen King and Margaret Atwood. 

Do you have any advice for students and other researchers and writers in your field? 

Take as many classes as you can and share your work frequently. Find mentors and keep writing! 

Anything you’d like to add? 

Writing should be fun. I often play music while writing. I also really enjoy learning new information. 

LSU Libraries supports faculty authors by collecting and preserving their work in the LSU Scholarly Repository and by helping make LSU research more widely discoverable through open-access initiatives.