Loris Nebbia
Loris Nebbia looks into the depth, beauty, and experiences of her own world to create the imaginary places of Solomon’s Puzzle.
Loris Nebbia, was born in Brooklyn, New York, and spent her childhood New Jersey. The daughter of a salesman who loved to think and read, and a fashion designer who taught her to sew, Loris grew up creating beautiful things with fabric while dreaming of the places she’d read about. Loris began her undergraduate studies in Maryland at St. John’s College. There amidst colonial houses and cobblestone walks in Annapolis, she met her husband, Karl Nebbia, a student at the U.S. Naval Academy. Loris lived in many places while Karl served in the U.S. Marine Corps, eventually returning to Annapolis, which has become the longtime hub of a blossoming family. Her four children know this “blessing house” as their home.
Loris became involved in the local community through Annapolis Area Christian School (AACS), where she taught literature and composition for many years. It was here that Loris found inspiration for the personalities that inhabit the halls of CCS in Solomon’s Puzzle and worked during snow days and through vacations to complete the novel. Her experiences helping students learn were some of the most treasured of her life. During her time at AACS, Loris obtained her master’s in teaching from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and was named Teacher of the Year in 2002. Students dedicated the yearbook to her in 2004 and she was twice honored with the school’s Valedictorian/Salutatorian Award, for which students chose the teacher who showed the most concern for their well-being.
At the center of Loris’ love for her community is the gift of faith she received as a teenager. In the years after her father’s death, during a time of unhappiness and misdirection, a friend gave her a Bible. She drank in the words of Matthew 11, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened,” as if they referred directly to her. That very moment she prayed and felt faith drop into her heart “like a living and luminescent pearl.” This faith has shaped her perception of family, friends, and students. As in Solomon’s Puzzle, the importance of compassion and community in the midst of broken human relationships stems from this belief in God’s unfailing love.
Loris continues to watch life and its blessings take root in the sunshine that nurtures her Annapolis garden. Now a grandmother to four beautiful and active grandchildren, she divides her time between quilting, baking, reading certain books, writing, and fashioning Robin Hood caps for young adventurers who visit her. Her essays appear online at http://www.solomonspuzzle.com/blog/ and at www.christianityisjewish.org. biography written by Kristen Intlekofer, Val Nebbia and Laurel Schmuck
