Copyright clutchpoints
In an inbox flooded with thousands of pitches daily, one stuck out: an email about a new fictional HBCU novel, Nostrof University, written by author Chanese Jaa. The premise immediately grabbed attention, chronicling the daily life of HBCU students, campus politics, student leadership, and the intricacies of Greek life and athletics—a narrative rarely seen fully explored in contemporary fiction. I immediately rushed to buy the book. The over 300 pages deliver a gripping story defined by its main character, Naomi, better known as Nae, who navigates the intense pressures of academics, relationships, family expectations, and personal legacy as she looks to build her own life as a Black woman attending the fictional Florida HBCU. I finished the novel in three days, giving me just enough time to prepare for my interview with Jaa. Jaa hasn’t merely created a setting; she has truly created an entire world for Nostrof University. The foundation of the novel’s intrigue begins with an admissions letter welcoming the reader to the institution. In our sit-down, Jaa broke down the history of the institution: “Nostrof University is the home of the Eagles, it was founded in 1887 by Rome J. Nostrof. It is also the birthplace of our Sacred Seven Greek organizations, which were founded on campus: Delta Kappa Chi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Gamma Alpha Theta, and Kappa Alpha Rho sorority. Then we have Kappa Kappa Kai Fraternity, Omega Mu Gamma Fraternity. Alpha Psi Theta Fraternity and Sigma Epsilon Zi Fraternity. She continued, “So everything from the Greek organizations to some of our dormitories being named after, you know, Florida HBCUs or HBCU founders, even our mascot, big E, the Eagle, And our, even though it’s fictional, it literally, I took pieces of every HBCU and put it into Nostrof University to make it feel like that real living, breathing HBCU.” The main character, Nae, certainly stands out in the narrative. She is confident, self-assured, and isn’t afraid to go against the grain, even when it puts her at odds with family members and friends. Jaa explained that Nae, like all of her characters, holds a small piece of the author within her. “All of my characters have a little piece of me. I’ve been honestly writing Nostrof University since high school so these characters have grown with me and they have matured as much as I have matured. So a lot of my life experiences have gone into each one of these characters. So a lot of Nae: [her] strong-will, her determination, she’s not taking no mess. That’s a little bit of me for sure. But I also feel like it’s a lot of other young adults that are going through this same transition as they’re trying to navigate this new life in college and with friends and everything like that.” One of the central storylines of the novel is the fierce, decades-old rivalry between Gamma Alpha Theta and Delta Kappa Chi. These two organizations make up a huge portion of the drama, with the main source of contention centering on the university’s royal court, specifically the coveted Miss Sacred Seven title. Another captivating element is the complicated relationship between Nay and her high school ex-boyfriend, Taj “Hotboy” Harrison. Harrison is the hot-shot quarterback of Nostrov University’s football team and the reigning Mr. Sacred Seven. Despite their complicated history, he attempts to reconcile once Nae becomes a student at the institution. Jaa explained the backstory between the two star-crossed lovers. “They met in high school. [It’s] that kind of love at first sight, puppy love kind of thing. They were each other’s first love. But Taj, being the star football player that he was in high school, didn’t really have the mindset of knowing how to push away everyone. Nay wasn’t as strong as she is now in college. So, you know, she kind of dealt with some things; she let some things slide. She had her popularity in high school as the key. They were the power couple, so they were tried a lot. He graduated a year before her in high school, so as he was going off to college, to Nostrof University.” She continued, “Some things happen and she was just like, ‘You know what, let’s just not. I’m really not gonna see you now. I really don’t know what you’re gonna do now.’ So that time apart, he did a lot of, as he likes to say, software upgrades. So, when he sees her now, he’s really trying to tell her like, ‘I wanna do this again.’ And she’s like, ‘No’, but you know you can never really shake your real first true love.” Overall, Nostrov University is a refreshing depiction of HBCU life, drawing the reader in from the start with authentic campus energy and leaving them with an interesting cliffhanger that demands the next edition. Nostrof University is available now.
