Author Sujata Massey
Waldsee alumna, Sujata Massey of Minneapolis, is author of the 10-book Rei Shimura mystery series about a young Japanese-American woman living in Japan. It addresses various global issues including anti-foreigner sentiment, identity problems, racism, sexism, environmentalism, and homophobia. Born in Sussex, England to an Indian father and German mother, Sujata’s experience with culture and language began early.
Sujata first attended at Waldsee at age 12. She attended a few two-week sessions from 1976-1978 and ended with the credit program, taking only one year off to go to Germany. Sujata continues to use German for travel and has been back to Germany several times. One of her sisters’ experiences at Concordia Language Villages was so influential that she refused to travel with the family to Germany one summer because she wanted to go to Waldsee instead.
Sujata fondly recalls memories from time spent at Waldsee and felt it was a “sustaining community during her teen years.” Sujata remembers the Village songs well and continues to use them daily with her children, Pia and Neel, both adopted from India. “The musical program is incredible, broad, and my favorite part of my camp experience,” she reflected. Another highlight for Sujata was the food. From Wurst und Käse to Muesli she opined her love of Waldsee’s authentically German cuisine.
In sharing with us her years as a villager at Waldsee, Sujata maintains that it was Concordia Language Villages that made language seem a useful and fun part of life. She’s no longer afraid to make mistakes when learning a language (she’s learned Japanese and Hindi since), and is glad she took the time to learn in her early teen years. “When you get older the quickness just isn’t there,” she related.
Her words of advice to today’s villagers are to try an activity they wouldn’t normally choose. “It’s a great time for growth and for doing things that parents can’t really offer.” Sujata’s oldest, 10-year-old Pia, will be attending Mar e Floresta’s inaugural summer.
