A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Heather Curlee Novak

A local wordsmith, Heather Curlee Novak, writes stories about Valparaiso and its places, launching her characters into the city’s vibrant personality. She isn’t originally from the area though, and instead comes from South Bend, Indiana, where she grew up and later attended John Adams High School. For college, she studied at Indiana University, Indiana Tech, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, taking a circuitous route to earn her bachelor’s degree in business management.

Novak has a background in marketing and as a sales trainer. She formerly worked for a company that would send her to properties in need of renovations, and she even developed training courses regarding her methods that are still in use today. Currently, she works part-time as an activities assistant at AVIVA Valparaiso, a senior-living facility. She fulfills her duties by simply showing up for residents to keep them engaged through play and entertainment.

“I really like people, and I’ve always been fascinated by how each person performs in an individual job,” Novak said. “The person who works a mundane job beautifully, I want to inspire people in my work life to be that person. If you’re going to work a job anyway, you might as well do it with some flair.”

Before COVID-19, Novak served as the director of connections at First United Methodist Church of Valparaiso. She was there for six years as the in-between messenger and in-house flesh-presser on Sunday mornings. She greeted congregants, assisted pastors, and tended to guest speakers, among other tasks As the pandemic worsened, it led her to seek a change. Her younger children, who were going through with online coursework, ‌compelled her to become a homemaker for a little while.

Writing has been present in Novak’s life since she was young. She used to stay in touch with family members by composing handwritten letters addressed to them. As a stay-at-home mother, she started her own blog called “Live Your Love Out Loud!” with content centered on growing up and being a mom. She also wrote lifestyle essays for National Public Radio (NPR). Other minor gigs she had as a writer led her to her current standing in her creative career. Today, she religiously uses sticky notes to wrangle her largest ideas.

“I’ve never had trouble with the smaller pieces. When I first tried to write a book, it was difficult. Then I came to realize that I could do the little bits, since that’s what I’m good at. A novel felt beyond me, and I never felt driven to write something that long until I got angry, especially at the way women are treated in abusive relationships,” Novak said. “… so I wrote about it and served the bad guy his justice on paper. I didn’t know how it would go, but I was fueled by care for women and fury at men who act that way.”

One of Novak’s biggest influences is her father, who’s a master of haiku. She has always enjoyed how he’s constantly showing her the beauty of what it means to be human. Another source of inspiration is Madonna, as the pop icon taught her how to embrace herself in order to live fearlessly and boldly. Nowadays, she’s on a mission to uplift others by being her most genuine self.

“I invite engagement, I try to smile at strangers, and I try to show up in a way that’s authentic. I never pretend that I have it all together, and I speak frankly from my heart,” Novak said. “I hope that with my little life in Valpo, writing books and working in a place that needs a bit of light, the daily life I choose either encourages or invites other people to see how they can do that themselves.”

Novak values the presence of her closest loved ones, such as her husband, John, and her daughters, Portia and Libby. Together, they live in harmony with their three cats and their dog. Both of her kids are involved in art in their own ways, so she roots them on in everything they do. They also enjoy the beach, going to the movies, and making adventures out of nothing. Novak likes to read, play the ukulele, and she began ballet lessons this year as a way to spend time by herself.

Novak is regularly astounded by the diversity of her community of where she’s from. The overall atmosphere inspires her, and she isn’t scared to incorporate sites that local people know into her works. She believes setting fictional happenings in actual locations enhances her stories and the Region itself.

“Valparaiso is like a little Chicago — that’s what I’ve felt throughout the 15 years we’ve been here. We chose to live downtown, where we can walk to all the fun things going on, and that’s been a huge pleasure. Our neighborhood is full of gardens and professors from Valparaiso University, so it’s been very nourishing,” Novak said. “There are so many delicious options for food. I even go to the Press Bookstore, which carries my books, to write. I enjoy writing about these places, and I want other people to discover them if they haven’t already.”

Moving with momentum, Novak recently earned acclaim for several titles in BookTok Indie Author Awards. Readers can discover more behind her titles by accessing her website at heathercurleenovak.com.