Cynthia Bond

Cynthia Bond (born 1961) is an American author and former actress. Her debut novel Ruby spent six consecutive weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list,[1] and was chosen as a selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.[2][3] She was born in Liberty, Texas and now lives in Los Angeles.[4] Bond won a journalism scholarship to Northwestern University but she eventually left the school to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[5] Bond was a PEN Rosenthal Fellow for Emerging Writers.[6] Bond is also on staff at the Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center.[6]

Professional work

Bond founded The Blackbird Collective in 2011 to, according to their website, “create a nurturing, supportive environment for writers” with an emphasis on “telling truths seldom shared, and using creativity to help others.”[7] She has been teaching writing to homeless and at-risk youth for over 15 years at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[8] Some of the youth she worked with inspired episodes of sexual violence described in her debut novel, Ruby.[3][8] Bond was inspired by some of her own family's history in writing Ruby, including the story of her aunt who was killed by men rumored to be part of the Ku Klux Klan.[9] She spent ten years working on the manuscript for Ruby.[10] Bond's mother and her agent initially encouraged her to break the 900 page book into a trilogy, but Bond believed it stood better as a single volume.[11] Ruby was considered a "strong first novel" by Kirkus Reviews.[12] Booklist called Ruby a "stark, unflinching portrait of dark deeds and dark psyches."[13] Ruby is in part a "gritty story," but it also contains "mystical elements," according to Library Journal.[11] People Magazine wrote that Ruby was not an "easy read," but it had an important and "compelling" message.[14]

Personal life

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.[6] Bond identifies as bisexual.[8]

Works

References

  1. ↑ "Best Sellers". The New York Times. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  2. ↑ http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/press-release/1371/
  3. 1 2 Bates, Karen Grigsby (23 February 2015). "Struggling Writer's Debut Novel Gets Coveted Oprah Winfrey Nod". NPR. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Story, Rosalyn (17 May 2014). "Fiction Review: 'Ruby,' by Cynthia Bond". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "How ‘Ruby’ Author Cynthia Bond Realized Writing Was Her True Calling". Huffington Post. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "About the Author". Cynthia Bond. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "Our Members". Blackbird Writing Collective. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Bendix, Trish (29 April 2015). "Cynthia Bond on the Bisexual Themes of 'Ruby' and the Oprah Effect". After Ellen. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Hamilton, Elizabeth (4 April 2015). "Cynthia Bond Mines Family History for 'Ruby'". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Author Cynthia Bond Offers The Perfect Description Of What It Means To Be A Mother". Huffington Post. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  11. 1 2 Hoffert, Barbara (15 March 2015). "We Will Always Rise". Library Journal 140 (5): 98. Retrieved 30 March 2016 – via EBSCO. (subscription required (help)).
  12. ↑ "Ruby". Kirkus Reviews 82 (4): 227. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Wilkinson, Joanne (15 February 2014). "Ruby". Booklist 110 (12): 30. Retrieved 30 March 2016 – via EBSCO. (subscription required (help)).
  14. ↑ Maran, Meredith (11 February 2015). "Should You Read Oprah's New Book Club Pick?". People. Retrieved 30 March 2016.

External links

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