Guidry, Cindy 1965(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1965. Education: Attended the University of New Orleans.

ADDRESSES:

Home—CA. E-mail—[email protected]; [email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, Pilates instructor; has worked in various professional establishments, including a bakery, department store, restaurants, and an office supply warehouse. Has also worked in various capacities within the film and television industries, commercial production, and for a major Hollywood studio.

WRITINGS:

The Last Single Woman in America (essays, memoir), Penguin Group (New York, NY), 2008.

ADAPTATIONS:

The Last Single Woman in America was optioned by Home Box Office (HBO) for a potential cable television series.

SIDELIGHTS:

Cindy Guidry was born circa 1965, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended the University of New Orleans, but did not complete a degree. In her early twenties, Guidry moved to California. A writer and Pilates instructor, she has worked at a wide range of jobs over the course of her career, in such varied locations as a bakery and department store. She has worked in restaurants, and in various capacities within the film and television industries, notably as a development executive for a major Hollywood studio. She is also the author of The Last Single Woman in America, a memoir in the form of a series of essays, which has been optioned by Home Box Office (HBO) as a potential cable television series.

Guidry, in essence, fell into writing her book. The traditional process of writing a book was quite overwhelming for her. Instead, Guidry's memoir is made up of various essays she has written over time, which came far more naturally to her. She began writing when working in Hollywood, California, in 1990, at her studio job where she had her first computer. A combination of her present situation and the ease of typing up her ideas initiated her writing, a habit that stuck, with essays accumulating over the years. "I was just writing for myself for a long time," she remarked, in an interview with Alex Simon for the Hollywood Interview Web log. The book has a number of references to music in it, as well, and Guidry claims music was a major influence on her writing and her life in general, a result, she states, of her New Orleans upbringing.

The Last Single Woman in America serves as a chronicle of the more difficult experiences of Guidry's life, including the loss of her job and her boyfriend at the time, both of which coincided with a friend's wedding where, when it came time to toss the bouquet, Guidry was literally the only single woman present at the event. The book also describes how she worked to rebuild her career and move forward, enjoying her single status and trying not to let it bother her when other people seemingly imply that she should be married. The tale of her journey from Hollywood executive to unemployment is one that many readers can relate to. The difficulties that Guidry encounters as a single woman, whom people automatically expect to be in a relationship, also resonate with readers. Most of Guidry's friends and family, as well as former boyfriends, are depicted in her book, though she notes at the start of the volume that several facts were changed in order to make the content more readable. Overall, Guidry discusses such pertinent topics as gender relations outside of relationships, sex, and the world at large. Critics had mixed reactions to her efforts. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly remarked that "while amusing, Guidry barely offers deeper insight than thoughts on bikini waxes and acupuncture sessions for her pet." However, Audrey Snowden, in a review for Library Journal, praised the book, particularly Guidry's ability to be honest without being overly harsh, commenting that she "does not take herself too seriously, and she has a sharp eye for comic detail." Tammar Stein, in a review for the St. Petersburg Times, also found the collection of essays to be lightly self-deprecating and enjoyable, declaring that "a hopeless romantic, neurotic and funny, Guidry puts her heart on her sleeve."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Guidry, Cindy, The Last Single Woman in America (essays, memoir), Penguin Group (New York, NY), 2008.

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, January 1, 2008, Audrey Snowden, review of The Last Single Woman in America, p. 110.

Publishers Weekly, November 19, 2007, review of The Last Single Woman in America, p. 49.

St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL), February 19, 2008, Tammar Stein, "Single Is Not a Stigma," review of The Last Single Woman in America, p. 1.

USA Today, February 14, 2008, "‘The Last Single Woman’ Tells Why She Is Perfectly Content," review of The Last Single Woman in America, p. 4.

ONLINE

Cindy Guidry Home Page,http://www.cindyguidry.com (August 20, 2008).

Cindy Guidry MySpace Page,http://profile.myspace.com/thelastsinglewomaninamerica (August 20, 2008), author profile.

Hollywood Interview Web log,http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/ (March 8, 2008), Alex Simon, "Alone Again, Not-So Naturally: Cindy Guidry and the Lament of the Last Single Woman in America," author interview.

Largehearted Boy Web log,http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/ (February 15, 2008), "Book Notes—Cindy Guidry," author interview.