Former AVC student Lavender Vroman credits supportive writing and literature courses with helping shape the confidence and skills behind her debut graphic novel.

Before Lavender Vroman became a published author, she was a shy student at Antelope Valley College looking for an affordable way to explore her interests and prepare to transfer.

After graduating from Rosamond High School, Vroman chose AVC to save money, avoid taking on university loans too soon and give herself time to decide on a major.

“Antelope Valley College’s transfer program was a great option for me,” she said. “It was affordable and I could explore subjects that interested me while completing my prerequisites to transfer as a junior to UC Santa Barbara pretty seamlessly.”

That time to explore proved formative. Vroman, who had been writing since childhood, enrolled in creative writing and literature courses that gave her both practical feedback and a stronger sense of what was possible.

She remembers a creative writing instructor, a published poet, who created an inviting classroom environment and offered thoughtful feedback on her short stories and poems. Though Vroman was introverted, the instructor encouraged her work and invited her to a poetry group.

“I don’t know if I would have been confident enough to pursue an English degree or a writing career without her encouragement,” Vroman said.

Vroman also recalls the lively literature classes taught by Janice Hall and John Hall, whose enthusiasm for the subject made an impression.

“Their passion for the subject was contagious,” she said.

At 18, Vroman was not ready to leave home or certain about her future. AVC provided a manageable introduction to college life while she remained close to her family in Lancaster. The coursework she completed there helped prepare her for more advanced writing after she transferred to UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature.

That academic path later led to a career in journalism at the Antelope Valley Press and, eventually, the publication of her debut graphic novel, Not Death, But Love: The Strange, Supernatural Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Published Sept. 22, 2026, by West Margin Press, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company, the book explores the lives of Victorian poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning through gothic romance, spiritualism and supernatural storytelling. Vroman wrote the book, and her brother, comic artist Joshua Kemble, illustrated it.

Vroman’s interest in the Brownings began in high school. At UC Santa Barbara, she researched their lives and began developing a screenplay in a screenwriting class. As she learned more, she discovered a lesser-known dimension of their story: their connection to Victorian spiritualism.

“At a time when mortality rates were high, grieving families longed to connect with the spirits of children and relatives they had lost,” Vroman said. “This gave rise to seances, mediums, supernatural experimentation and other spooky things.”

The project took a long route to publication. Vroman completed the original screenplay while working at the newspaper, then set it aside for years. Later, Kemble pitched her idea to his agent. After the agent responded positively, Vroman adapted the screenplay into a comic and Kemble created sample pages. Their agent then submitted the project to publishers.

“From start to finish, it took about four years to complete the book,” Vroman said.

For AVC students considering a creative career, Vroman’s advice is direct: keep creating.

“The best way to pursue writing is to write,” she said. “Write as much as you can, when you can, in as many ways as you can.”

Her own path included journalism, film criticism, entertainment writing, editing, blogging, content creation and copywriting. Each experience, she said, strengthened the storytelling skills that helped her bring Not Death, But Love to life.

“You never know what creating something you love may lead to,” Vroman said. “Write or create the art you want to make because you never know what might happen or where it might lead you.”

Learn more about Not Death, But Love: The Strange, Supernatural Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.