NL: Can you share a bio with us?
KS: My name is Karissa Sullivan, Ed.D. (she/her), and I currently serve as the Assistant Principal at Nyack Middle School. Outside of my professional role, I’m an avid gardener, a devoted dog lover, and a proud mother of two beautiful daughters. I am also a longtime volunteer with the Rockland County Pride Center, where I lead community support groups and remain deeply committed to advocacy and inclusion.

​NL: What are you currently reading? Do you like it?
KS: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. It is informative to my career so I do enjoy it.

NL: If you could have any author speak at Nyack Library, who would it be and why?
KS: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah because he is a local author who loves giving back to his community.

NL: Which character in a book do you most identify with?
KS: A character I deeply resonate with is Starr Carter from The Hate U Give. Like Starr, I’ve often felt as though I was living two separate lives. Growing up in a lower-income family while attending a predominantly white, affluent school district forced me to constantly shift between two different worlds. This duality continued into my academic journey, particularly during my time at Teachers College, Columbia University, where I pursued my last two degrees and found myself navigating similar situations.

NL: What books are on your night stand?
KS: As much as I love reading, I fortunately (and unfortunately) don’t read in bed.

NL: Are there any books that you feel are overrated?
KS: I try not to yuck someone else’s yum. As a former ELA teacher, I spent a lot of time trying to find books that students loved.

NL: Do you have a literary “guilty pleasure”?
KS: The Twilight, You & Harry Potter Series

NL: Are you a re-reader?
KS: In my work I often go back to re-read books about education.

NL: How do you get out of a reading rut? 
KS: I have spent the past 5 years completing my Doctorate, and I am currently in a reading rut. I am currently spending time not forcing myself to read. I feel as if I have to make a switch from informational texts back to fiction to get out of this rut.

NL: Thoughts on prologues? Epilogues?
KS: I believe they can offer valuable insight, but the way my attention span is set up, I sometimes end up skipping them.

NL: What’s your least favorite book?
KS: I’ve often been bored by so-called literary classics such as Romeo & Juliet, for example, which never really captured my interest.

NL: If you were to own a bookstore, what would it be like? How would you arrange the books? Would you serve coffee and food? Play music? Where would it be? 
KS: If I were to own a bookstore, it would be the most welcoming place in town, much like The Lit. Bar in the Bronx. It would be a one-stop shop for book lovers, offering more than just great reads. Guests could enjoy coffee, small plates, and pastries while listening to an eclectic mix of music in a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

NL: Are you a one-book-at-a-time reader? Or do you like reading multiple books at the same time?  
KS: I have had to read multiple books at a time for school and I’m looking forward to reading one book at a time.

NL: Do you DNF (do not finish) books or always read until the end?
​KS: Absolutely! If you’re reading for enjoyment, it’s perfectly okay to stop a book you’re not connecting with, especially if you’ve given it your best shot. Reading should be a joy, not a chore.