Although this is Cynthia’s first book, it is certainly not her first publication! Cynthia has always been interested in words, and has been called to document her experiences, particularly travel. She began this as a youngster at her family’s summer cottage, sniffing out news and writing, editing, having mimeographed, and selling a small neighborhood newspaper.
She received her B.A. degree in English from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., in 1965.
In 1968-69, on a nine-week trip with her Indian husband and two-year-old son to India, Cynthia meticulously kept a travel diary and wrote frequent aerograms to family and friends back home, which they saved for her. These resources, plus photos from that trip, formed the basis of this book, An Orchid Sari: The Personal Diary of an American Mom in 1960s India.
After working for a neighborhood organizing group and at an alternative school, Cynthia served as the administrative assistant to the president for publications at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia for many years, being responsible for all printed materials. In that role, she was editor of the quarterly alumni journal, and served as managing editor of two other journals, one on preaching and the other on inner-city ministries. She also produced materials for the Admissions Department and for lecture, music, and preaching series.
After retirement, Cynthia spent 14 years as a volunteer teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) in two locations—Nationalities Service Center and International House, both in Philadelphia—in settings ranging from the classroom to conversation groups to one-on-one tutoring.
Since 2005, she has been an avid blogger, sharing her travel and cultural experiences, punctuated with her photographs, in places like Alaska, Morocco, South Africa, and Mexico, particularly after moving to San Miguel de Allende in 2012. For nine years, she has taken Spanish grammar and conversation classes, and has a private tutor. As a native English speaker, she assists Mexicans taking English classes with their pronunciation and vocabulary development.
Over the years, Cynthia has taken many writing courses that resulted in short stories, and a part of one is included in this book. She has been and is a dedicated correspondent with dozens of friends throughout the world.