Cutter, Leah R.

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CUTTER, Leah R.

PERSONAL:

Married Mike Brotherton (an astronomer). Hobbies and other interests: Tai Chi, hiking, travel, and reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Laramie, WY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Penguin/ROC, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Technical writer and novelist. PeopleSoft, Pleasanton, CA, staff technical writer.

WRITINGS:

Paper Mage (novel), ROC (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor to anthology Black Heart, Ivory Bones, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, Avon (New York, NY), 2000.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

A novel.

SIDELIGHTS:

Leah R. Cutter writes short stories, poetry, and fiction. Her historical fantasy novel Paper Mage, was published in 2003. Set in the Tang dynasty in a small village in China, Paper Mage tells the story of Xiao Yen, a young girl who becomes an origami magician's apprentice, a job her family considers unsuitable for a girl who must soon find herself a husband. In protagonist Xiao Yen, Cutter creates a realistic heroine with conflicting emotions. Xiao Yen must ultimately choose between the work that she enjoys and the family she loves.

Critics praised Cutter's description of historical China and her character development. Reviewer Harriet Klausner noted in BestReviews, "It is very obvious that the author researched ancient Chinese culture and history during the time of Charlemagne in Europe so that readers obtain a very visual picture of the country." In Booklist, Paula Luedtke described Cutter's writing as an "elegant and precise" story and remarked that Cutter creates "what feels like the essence of ancient Chinese culture." Michael M. Jones declared in the Green Man Review that even readers who normally shy away from Chinese-inspired stories will enjoy Paper Mage, adding that the novel demonstrates that Cutter "has what it takes to become a great new talent."