AIRED: March 9, 2014– 11 am PST
TITLE: “Ruby – The Ugliest Human Behavior
Has No Power to Quash the Human Spirit”
Cynthia Bond’s breathtaking prose in Ruby is reminiscent of the work of Toni Morrison, and is, in itself a radical assertion that the ugliest human behavior has no power to quash the spirit of a great writer. Cynthia Bond draws upon her own experiences and the heartbreaking tales she’s heard through the years working with homeless and at-risk youth, to create the unforgettable story of Ruby Bell, a beautiful girl born from tragedy who suffers horrors and fights against her personal demons in Liberty Township, TX.
In piercingly lovely prose, Cynthia Bond’s Ruby, Oprah’s latest Book Club 2.0 pick, tells a deeply unsettling, unforgettable story. Ruby Bell is an African American girl raised by white folks in Liberty, a rural community deep in the piney woods of East Texas. For Ruby, Liberty is a place of pain and secrets. She has experienced unimaginable horrors at the hands of nearly all the men in her life. As a result, she trusts no one, and she’s given up on hope and happiness.
Tragically, this story portrays the horrors of abuse and human trafficking millions of women around the globe have and continue to endure. As Bond tells it, she weaves past with present, asking readers to confront Ruby’s exquisitely painful memories and persevere her efforts to reach out to a new life
ABOUT CYNTHIA BOND
CYNTHIA BOND, a PEN Rosenthal Fellow, has taught writing to homeless and at-risk youth throughout Los Angeles for more than fifteen years.
Her novel, RUBY, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and was chosen as an Indie Next Pick by independent booksellers throughout the U.S.
Ruby was also nominated for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. O,
The Oprah Magazine says, “Cynthia Bond proves to be a powerful literary force, a writer whose unflinching yet lyrical prose is reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s.”
Bond attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, then moved to New York and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She founded the Blackbird Writing Collective in 2011. At present, Bond teaches therapeutic writing at Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center. A native of East Texas, she lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.
