▁of ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color ▁that ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ ▁sla very ▁and ▁reconst ruction ▁in ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁capital . ▁ ▁Verd elle ▁attended ▁La ▁Re ine , ▁a ▁private ▁Catholic ▁girls ' ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Su it land , ▁Maryland , ▁a ▁Prince ▁George ' s ▁County ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁She ▁graduated ▁from ▁college ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁with ▁a ▁B . A . ▁in ▁Political ▁Science , ▁ear ning ▁an ▁M . A . ▁in ▁App lied ▁Statistics ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁She ▁earned ▁an ▁M FA ▁in ▁Creative ▁Writing ▁from ▁B ard ▁College , ▁in ▁the ▁Hudson ▁Valley ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁After ▁receiving ▁her ▁M . A . ▁in ▁statistics , ▁Verd elle ▁moved ▁to ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York , ▁and ▁founded ▁a ▁statistics ▁consult ing ▁firm ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁Verd elle ' s ▁prize - win ning ▁first ▁novel , ▁The ▁Good ▁Neg ress , ▁was ▁published ▁to ▁considerable ▁acc laim ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁It ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁paper back ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Nobel ▁la ure ate ▁T oni ▁Mor r ison ▁called ▁the ▁novel ▁" tr uly ▁extraordinary ." ▁Verd elle ▁has ▁taught ▁Creative ▁Writing ▁at ▁Pr inc eton ▁University , ▁and ▁Verm ont ▁College