Cynthia Bond facts for kids
Cynthia Bond (born April 24, 1961) is an American author and actress. Her first novel, Ruby, was very popular. It stayed on New York Times Bestseller list for six weeks. It was also chosen for Oprah's Book Club 2.0. Cynthia Bond was born in Hempstead, Texas. She now lives in Los Angeles, California. She studied at Northwestern University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Early Life
Cynthia Dale Bond was born in Hempstead, Texas. Her parents are Zelma Marshall and Horace James Bond.
Her Work as a Writer
In 2011, Cynthia Bond started The Blackbird Collective. This group helps writers. It focuses on sharing important stories and using creativity to help others. For over 15 years, she taught writing to young people who were homeless or facing challenges at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Some of these young people's experiences helped inspire her first novel, Ruby.
Bond also used her own family's history when writing Ruby. She worked on the book for ten years. Her mother and agent suggested she turn the long book into a series of three books, a trilogy. Bond agreed that a trilogy would be the best way for the story to grow.
Ruby was seen as a "strong first novel" by Kirkus Reviews. Booklist called it a "clear and honest picture of difficult events." Library Journal said Ruby was a "gritty story" but also had "mystical elements." People Magazine wrote that Ruby was not an "easy read" but had an important message. The book was compared to works by famous authors like Toni Morrison and Gabriel García Márquez. Ruby was also nominated for the 2016 Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction.
Personal Life
Cynthia Bond lives in Los Angeles with her daughter. She was once married to actor JB Blanc.
Interesting Facts
Cynthia Bond played a main character in the 1990 horror movie Def by Temptation. She is also a cousin of the late civil rights leader Julian Bond.
Books
- Ruby. New York: Hogarth, 2014. ISBN: 978-0804188241
