Cynthia Carr is an American writer who has contributed to a number of periodicals, including ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' and ''

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ × 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...

''. She often publishes under the byline C. Carr.

Biography

Carr graduated from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

in 1972 with an honors degree in English. She went on to work as a freelance writer for several years, and then as a staff writer for ''

'' from 1987 to 2003, where she specialized in arts coverage. "On Edge," her column for ''The Village Voice'', chronicled New York's downtown performance scene, including such then-emerging artists as

Linda Montano Linda Mary Montano (born January 18, 1942) is an American performance artist. Early life Born in Saugerties, New York, Montano was raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic household, partly Irish and partly Italian, surrounded by artistic activity. ...

Tehching Hsieh Sam Hsieh Teh-ching (; born December 31, 1950), known professionally as Tehching Hsieh, is a Taiwanese-born performance artist. He has been called a "master" by fellow performance artist Marina Abramović. Early life Born in Nanzhou, Hsieh wa ...

Marina Abramović Marina Abramović ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Абрамовић, ; born November 30, 1946) is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. Her work explores body art, endurance art, the relationship between the performer and audience, the limit ...

, and

Ulay Frank Uwe Laysiepen (; 30 November 1943 – 2 March 2020), known professionally as Ulay, was a German artist based in Amsterdam and Ljubljana, who received international recognition for his Polaroid SX-70, Polaroid art and collaborative performan ...

. She also wrote about performance art and culture for ''

'', ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

'', ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...

'' and ''

Mirabella ''Mirabella'' was a women's magazine published from June 1989 to April 2000. It was created by and named for Grace Mirabella, a former '' Vogue'' editor in chief, in partnership with Rupert Murdoch. It was originally published by News Corpora ...

''. Her 2012 biography of artist and AIDS activist

David Wojnarowicz David Michael Wojnarowicz ( ; September 14, 1954 – July 22, 1992) was an American painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, songwriter/recording artist, and HIV/AIDS activism, AIDS activist prominent in the East Village, Ma ...

, ''Fire in the Belly'', has been called one of the most important books of the year for its meticulous analysis of Wojnarowicz's prominent role at the intersection of gay history and art history in late 20th century America. The book won a

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...

in 2013 in the category of Gay Memoir or Biography. In 2024, Carr released ''Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar,'' a biographical portrait of

Candy Darling Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar. She was a pioneer for transgender visibility, inspiring songs by the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed. Her performances Andy Warhol's f ...

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

icon and

Warhol superstar Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and 1970s. These personalities hung out at Warhol's studio, the Factory, appeared in his films, and accompanied him to his New ...

Books

*''Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted Town, and the Hidden History of White America'' (2007) *''On Edge: Performance at the End of the Twentieth Century'' (2012) *''Fire in the Belly: The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz'' (2012) *''Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar'' (2024)

Awards

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

(2007)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Cynthia Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Lambda Literary Award winners American art critics American biographers American women biographers American women journalists American women critics The Village Voice people 21st-century American women University of Iowa alumni