About.
Hey! So glad you're here.
I’m Cynthia. I like stories. In fact, I like them so much I’ve been telling, writing, and listening to them all my life. When I was a freelance features writer for the Daily Press here in Hampton Roads, I talked with people from all walks of life: educators. Athletes. Thespians. Artists. Community activists. Event organizers. Hobbyists. Even a barber. And as I sat with people in their studios, offices, shops, or homes I chronicled stories that spanned generations. Some seemed big, others quirky. The bulk were decidedly mundane slices of lives lived.
But no matter the size or scope of the stories, their owners were excited to have them in print. Words made them real. Ink made them permanent. Some journalistic framing wove their narrative threads into the fabric of the larger community. People didn’t just want to be heard, they wanted to be connected. Stories have an unmatched power to connect and transform and I believe in them, especially when they are shared over a beverage and, if we’re really lucky, chocolate.
I teach narrative nonfiction at Christopher Newport University and lead workshops at the Muse Writer’s center. I’ve written hundreds of feature stories, columns, and essays for news outlets and the occasional literary journal. I live in the eye of swirling ideas, partial drafts and half-baked metaphors. It’s home and I love it here. Honestly, it’s a lot like real life. So welcome: pull up a chair. join me on instagram, twitter, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. There’s always room here for one more story–yours.
