Carol Strickland is a freelance writer specializing in cultural topics. Author of numerous books on art, architecture, and literature, she regularly contributes feature stories to the Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com) and has written for newspapers like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal and magazines like Art & Antiques, The Nation, and Civilization. Her book "The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern" has been published in a 2nd edition, after selling more than 300,000 copies. She's written award-winning screenplays and is currently writing an historical novel set in 6th-century Constantinople, the story of a scandalous but world-changing couple, Empress Theodora and Emperor Justinian. She lives and works in Manhattan and Long Island. |
Influences/Inspirations:
Born in New Orleans, I'm a sucker for oral story-telling such as I was fascinated by as a child. The lush landscape of the South and its equally florid history have spawned writers I admire like Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Robert Penn Warren, Carson McCullers, and Flannery O'Connor. They tell stories that cut to the core.
Favorite Writers and Artists:
My current favorite painter is Fairfield Porter, a Long Island artist who also painted on his island in Maine. His paintings straddle that fruitful territory between representation and abstraction. When he paints sunlight, it's like streams of butter pouring into a room.
Current Projects:
I'm working on an historical novel set in 6th-century Byzantium that tells the true story of the bear-keeper's daughter in the circus, an erotic dancer who rose to be empress of the greatest civilization of the late-Roman era. Theodora mesmerized the man who became Emperor Justinian, and together they changed the world. Their juicy tale is rife with scandal, skullduggery, and amazing accomplishments, yet they're mostly unknown to readers.
Interests:
Photography, literature, art, architecture, film, theater -- culture in general and travel.
Family:
Husband, 2 adult daughters (married).
University Affiliations:
Ph.D. from University of Michigan (English language and literature with specialty in American lit and culture), B.A. from Rhodes College
Contact Information:
http://www.carolcstrickland.com
Charities/Causes:
human rights, female empowerment, environmental awareness, social justice