Dr. Susan Finch Publishes Debut Book, ‘Dear Second Husband’

Short story collection reflects community and belonging found at Belmont

After more than 10 years of fostering a love of fiction writing in her students at Belmont, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Associate Dean and Professor of English Dr. Susan Finch released her debut short story collection, "Dear Second Husband," through Carnegie Mellon University Press. 

Set among a rapidly changing Nashville, the book explores themes of resilience, relationship struggles and belonging through interconnected characters navigating grief, marriage and changing identities. 

Moving to Nashville to join Belmont's faculty inspired Finch to complete the collection, a milestone that reflects the same creative spirit she brings to her graduate and undergraduate courses, her advising of the Belmont Literary Journal and her year-round direction of master's theses. 

Inspiring by Example  

Finch was hired as an associate professor of English in 2013 and has taught several writing courses at Belmont, including Third-Year Writing, Intro to Creative Writing and Belmont Literary Journal for undergraduate students and Craft of Fiction and Fiction Workshop for both undergraduate and graduate students. Though her teaching style has grown and evolved over time, one of Finch’s most powerful tools has been to lead by example, allowing students to see how overcoming challenges can pave a path to success. 

“In creative writing classes, we have to be transparent about the writing process,” Finch said. “I’ll often show students how long it took me to write and publish my stories, which feels very vulnerable, but leads to a lot of important conversations about perseverance and leaning into a supportive creative community.” 

In the Belmont Literary Journal class, Finch oversees one such community as they work to publish student writing and art in regular journal editions that act as representations of the student body.  

“The students work so hard to create a body of work that’s reflective of their peers,” Finch said. “Belmont is intentional about creating a space for everyone, and by doing that in my own classes, I think it sets up my students to do the same for each other.” 

In Finch’s writing classes, much of the student experience revolves around a workshop format in which students read each others’ original work and provide feedback on the craft — techniques behind the finished work. To Finch, watching her students try new things and gain confidence over time inspires her to be bold in her own writing. 

“I’m inspired by my students every single day,” Finch shared. “It’s the best gift teaching has given me. To see young creatives try something new because, even if they aren’t successful the first time, it is so energizing — they don’t ever stop exploring new ideas.” 

Whether it’s trying out different points of view or inserting multiple narrators into a single story, students in Finch’s class get to play an active part in encouraging creative expression with a lasting impact.  

A Story About Community 

Beyond the classroom, Finch spends her time focusing on family and her independent writing. After finishing her dissertation novel and moving to Nashville for her job at Belmont, she turned her attention to a writing form more easily tackled with a full class schedule and growing children: a short story collection set in a very different Nashville than the one she grew up in.  

‘Dear Second Husband’ is made up of interconnected stories featuring the same cast of characters at different points in their lives. This allowed Finch to show how each character navigates change and hardship, including everything from devastating floods to marriage tension and bachelorette party woes. Sharp and humorous, each conflict and character interaction is a poignant example of the complexities of life.  

“I’m not a very fast writer, but I’m extremely persistent,” said Finch. “And I have a very full life here in Nashville. I noticed that the city had changed so much since I last lived here, so re-discovering it and being welcomed back in the process felt like the perfect foundation for working with themes of communities and relationships going through change.” 

Research for “Dear Second Husband” led Finch all over Nashville. From reading police blotters to inquiring about animals in the Radnor Park aviary, each detail added a new layer of depth to her depiction of community — one she says was apparent from her first moment on Belmont’s campus.  

“From the moment you get to Belmont and interact with the students, something just feels different,” Finch shared. “The people here work to make others feel seen, and I hope that my book contributes to that in a positive way. I try to capture the beauty behind human connection in my stories, and that’s something Belmont really understands.” 

"Dear Second Husband” is now available for purchase through Carnegie Mellon University Press, the bookshop Nashville and Amazon.