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Cindy
Childress
Cindy grew up in Lafayette,
TN, a town with only one red light. She earned an A.A. degree at Florida
College in Temple Terrace, FL, and her favorite courses were surveys
in British Literature, so she decided to major in literature when she
transferred to Western Kentucky University to finish her B.A. While
there, she co-hosted poetry readings and became interest in slam and
performance poetry. Her professors encouraged her to pursue an M.F.A.,
but the left side of her brain insisted she get an M.A. instead, so
she moved to Tampa, FL to study literature and women’s studies
at the University of South Florida. While in Tampa, she performed with
the Vital Signs Poetry Collective, a group of six female poets from
the Tampa area and also co-hosted a monthly poetry reading at Rigo’s
Bakery, as well as teaching poetry writing to teens with the local Youth
Arts Corps chapter. She was sick of “doing literature” by
the end of her M.A. and decided to pursue a Ph. D. in Creative Writing
so she can teach what she enjoys most. A southerner to the core, she
wanted to live in the real South, which is how she wound up at UL Lafayette.
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Cindy
Childress So Far
Education
2003-present Ph.D., Creative Writing, University of Louisiana
at Lafayette, Ongoing
2003
M.A., Literature--Modern British and Women‘s Studies, University of South
Florida
2000
B.A., Literature and Writing, Western Kentucky University, Magna Cum Laude
1999
A.A., Liberal Arts, Florida College, Cum Laude
Teaching Experience
2003-present Writing Instructor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Composition
and Rhetoric and Composition and Literature.
2003
Co-leader of workshop, “Poetic License: From the Page to the Stage”
at the Art and Spirituality Festival, Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa, FL.
2002-03 Poet-in-Residence at LEAF
Girl’s Correctional Facility and Wildwood Community Center, funded by
the Pinellas County Arts Council
2001-03 Writing Instructor, University
of South Florida: Composition 1101 and 1102.
2001
Leader of seminar, “The Living Art of Slam Poetry” at the New England
Writers Conference, Winchester, NH.
Publications
2004 Encyclopedia
of Women's Autobiography Greenwood Press, “Jane P. Tompkins” (forthcoming).
2003 Canadian
Women’s Studies Journal, “Response to the Critical Theory Professor,
who explained how ridiculous the suggestion is that patriarchy controls girls’
minds with dolls” and “What Remains.”
2003 Suncoast
Writer’s Conference Anthology, “Fetters.”
2003 X-Magazine,
“You’re Thinking in Long Distance.”
2003 The Red
Booth Review, “Upon corresponding with my ex-boyfriend while he is abroad”
and “Poetic Field Research.”
2003 Di-verse-city:
Austin International Poetry Festival Anthology, “Fading.”
2002 Di-verse-city:
Austin International Poetry Festival Anthology, “On falling in love at
first conversation two weeks before he moves cross-country.”
2002 Vital
Signs: The Primal Sessions (CD), “Barbie Rhetoric” and
“Sensory Rememory.”
2001 The Shanachie:
USF’s Alternative Newspaper, “Visions Retold,” “Linguistic
Roots,” “Shall We,” “Late Capitalism’s Late Bohemian”
Contributing Poet.
2001 JAR,
“A Jogging Prostitute.”
2000 Zephyrus,
“After Reading Hamlet Through Act 3.”
Public Readings
2003 Chris’s
Poboys: V-Day Reading Series (October).
2003 Chris’s
Poboys: Featured reader (September).
2003 Gold Dragon
Gallery, Salon Reading: Featured reader (July).
2003 Viva la Frida
Café y Galleria, Frida Khalo Poetry Reading: Invited reader (July).
2003 Globe Coffee
Lounge, Sunday School: Confessions in Poetry: Featured reader (May).
2003 Viva la Frida
Café y Galleria, Palabra Loco Reading Series: Featured reader (May).
2003 Ruta Maya’s,
Barnes and Noble, Mojo’s, Austin International Poetry Festival: Featured
reader (April).
2003 Barnes and
Noble, Poetry Slam: First place (April).
2003 Rigo’s
Bakery, UNESCO Dialogue Through Poetry: Co-Host (March).
2003 Women’s
Art and Poetry Festival: Featured reader (March).
2003 MLK Plaza
USF Campus, Victim’s Advocacy Awareness: Performer (March).
2002 New World
Brewery, Post Future Quintet: Poet accompanist (December).
2002 Sacred Grounds
Coffee Lounge, Post Future Quintet: Poet accompanist (November).
2002 Viva la Frida
Café y Galleria, Open Jam: Poet accompanist (October).
2002 The Garden,
Post Future Quintet: Poet accompanist (September).
2002 King Corona
Cigar Café, Irritable Tribe of Poets and Vital Signs Collaboration (July).
2002 Viva la Frida
Café y Galleria, Frida Khalo Poetry Reading, Invited reader (July).
2002 Globe Coffee
Lounge, Sunday School: Confessions in Poetry: Featured reader (July).
2002 Book Woman,
Ruta Maya, Austin International Poetry Festival: Invited reader (April).
2002 Women’s
Art and Poetry Festival: Featured reader (March).
2002 Gold Dragon
Gallery, Opening Reception and Vital Signs CD Release Party (March).
2002 Gold Dragon
Gallery, UNESCO Dialogue Through Poetry: Invited reader (March).
2001 King Corona’s
Cigar Café, Irritable Tribe of Poets: Poet accompanist (October).
2001 Silver Meteor
Gallery, Benefit for 9-11: Invited reader (September).
2001 Joffrey’s,
Broad Stroking Poetry Series, Featured reader (June).
2001 Weber State
University Undergraduate Literature Conference “A Correction of Vision”
and “A Jogging Prostitute” (March)
2000 WKU Cherry
Hall, English Awards Ceremony, Invited reader (April).
1999-00 WKU Alumni House, The Coffee
Spot: Co-host.
Awards
Thomas G. Jones Scholarship for Academic Excellence, WKU.
Outstanding Service Award, WKU English Club.
Organizations
Golden Key Honor Society
Sigma Tau Delta
MLA
Vital Signs Poetry Collective
Activities
1999-00 Secretary of WKU English Club: Organize
and publicize bi-weekly meetings; organize, publicize, and co-host The Coffee
Spot Open Mic Series.
2000-03 Secretary of English Graduate Student
Organization: Organize and facilitate officer elections; schedule speakers and
publicize First Friday Forums; welcome incoming graduate students during Orientation;
provide refreshments for Departmental functions.
2001, 2003 Volunteer for Florida Suncoast Writer’s Conference:
Assist directing people and speakers to buildings; setting up booths; chaperoning
out of town speakers; Co-hosting the Open Mic Poetry Readings at Rigo’s
Bakery: Preparing and posting flyers and handbills throughout Tampa; greeting
audience and announcing readers.
2003 Two interviews
on 88.5 WMNF Community Radio Station regarding the Art and Spirituality Festival
“Art in Your Ear” and “The Women’s Show,” May.
2003 Reader for
Southwest Review.
2003 Chair of Program
Committee for Graduate Student Conference on Language and Literature, reader
for Abstract Committee, prepare and post flyers for weekly fundraiser.
Cindy on
UL Lafayette
I am chairing the program
committee for this Spring’s Graduate Student Conference on Language and
Literature at UL, which is a great opportunity for us to get professional experience
not only in presenting our work, but seeing how a conference is run. One of
my favorite things about being here is the community both on and off campus
that I share with other grads--from working on the conference to sharing brunch
or lattes. Also, the professors I have worked with at UL Lafayette are very
accessible and sometimes they even feed us! They are willing to work with us
outside class and I feel that they truly listen to my questions and comments.
Additionally, I enjoy the readings at Chris’s Poboys, which generally
feature two readers from the department; sometimes professors or the playwriting
class may share a performance. I enjoy hearing what other students are working
on, and the readings also reinforce my belief that writing is a communal activity.
I think UL Lafayette’s creative writing program is ideal for any talented
writer who’s interested in many subjects under the umbrella of “English.”
Read
a Sample of Cindy's Writing
Check
out this page about Cindy's Vital Signs CD
Go
to UL Lafayette Creative Writing Anthology
Creative
Writing home Page
English
Department Home Page
© 2004, University
of Louisiana at Lafayette.
This site designed and maintained by
The Creative Writing Concentration
of the English Department of the University
of Louisiana at Lafayette.
To contact us by mail: Director of Creative
Writing, English Department, Box 44691,
UL Lafayette, Lafayette LA 70504-4691;
by telephone, 337-482-5478;
by email, jlm8047@louisiana.edu.
Last updated: February 26, 2004.