Suzanne Ross
Author, educator and workshop leader Suzanne Ross follows her passion for nonviolence, justice and peace wherever it leads.
Shaped by her dialogues with scholars, artists, and peace activists, Suzanne’s ears were attuned to the wicked truths woven through the hit Broadway musical, Wicked. This retelling of The Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch’s point of view provided Suzanne with a fun yet profound opportunity to confront conventional thinking about good and evil, and to examine what it takes to achieve true goodness and peace this side of the rainbow. Under Wicked’s spell, Suzanne was impassioned to tell the truth about the futility of violence as a means to peace, and did so in her 2007 book, The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things.
The second edition of The Wicked Truth, released in 2026, reflects how culture has shifted since the first edition was published twenty years ago. It contains contemporary examples and opportunities for reflection, with an accompanying study guide for group discussion. It is Suzanne’s invitation to readers to make the same journey she has, to a place where our own certainty about goodness is challenged and true goodness can take root.
Suzanne’s passion for nonviolence was ignited when she heard her pastor preaching about the violence in the Bible through the lens of René Girard’s mimetic theory. Soon she was reading and teaching books about mimetic theory and theology, and her journey led to friendships with scholars and nonviolent practitioners met through the Colloquium on Violence & Religion (COV&R).
Together with her husband Keith, Suzanne co-founded two not-for-profit organizations to share the hope and promise of living nonviolently in a violent world. Through her book, the Wicked Truth newsletter, workshops, and the Third Things First podcast, she invites others to walk with her in the art and practice of nonviolence.
Suzanne is a graduate of Bucknell University and is an accredited Montessori preschool directress. She has served on the board of COV&R and is a recognized leader in the field of mimetic studies. She often credits her years as a Montessori preschool teacher for preparing her to (hopefully!) be a patient, nonrivalrous presence with all ages. She and Keith live in Glenview, IL near their children and grandchildren and travel often to Utah to renew and relax amid the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.
