Cris Mazza (born 1956) is an American novelist, short story writer, and non-fiction author.
Early life and education
A native of
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
, Mazza earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
and her Master of Fine Arts in writing at
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus.
Being New York City's first publ ...
.
Career
Mazza has published 10 novels, six collections, and two memoirs. She is widely anthologized as an example of post-feminist, formalist, or contemporary experimental fiction. Her work often deals with second and third-wave feminist concerns as well as sexuality.
Along with Jeffrey DeShell, Mazza used the term "chick lit" for the edited anthology ''Chick Lit Postfeminist Fiction'' (1995) and the follow-up anthology ''Chick Lit 2: No Chick Vics'' (1996). While originally meant to be ironic, the term was co-opted to define a very different sort of work. In 2007, Gretchen Kalwinsky of ''
Time Out Chicago
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition beca ...
'' called Mazza "an award-winning author who has waged a one-woman war against the chick-lit genre".
During an interview with ''
Rain Taxi
''Rain Taxi'' is a Minneapolis-based book review and literary organization. In addition to publishing its quarterly print edition, ''Rain Taxi'' maintains an online edition with distinct content, sponsors the Twin Cities Book Festival, hosts read ...
'', Mazza termed her 2013 memoir, ''Something Wrong With Her'' a ‘meta-memoir.’ The memoir explores sexual dysfunction.
Mazza directs the Program for Writers at the
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a Public university, public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus esta ...
. She won the PEN / Nelson Algren Award for her novel ''How to Leave a Country''.
In addition, Mazza received an &NOW award in 2009 for her story "Trickle-Down Timeline," published in ''The &NOW Awards: The Best Innovative Writing'' in 2009. She has also participated in the biennial &NOW festival.
In 2016, Mazza co-produced and starred in the independent film, ''Anorgasmia''. Based on her memoir, ''Something Wrong With Her'', the film continues the struggles of sexual frustration felt by Mazza. Despite acting as a fictional sequel to the memoir, the film continues with the memoir's themes, exploring the conflicts and anxieties of sexual frustration.
In 2020, Mazza was asked to be the finalist judge for the Leapfrog Press Global Fiction Prize Contest. She selected Molly Giles's short story collection ''Wife with'' ''Knife'' as the winner.
Works
Published Writing:
* ''Animal Acts'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 1988)
* ''Is It Sexual Harassment Yet?'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 1991)
* ''How to Leave a Country: a novel'' (1992)
* ''Revelation Countdown'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 1993)
* ''Dog People: a novel'' (1997)
* ''Former Virgin'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 1997)
* ''Girl Beside Him'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 2001)
* ''Indigenous: Growing up Californian'' (
City Lights
''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...
, 2003)
* ''Homeland'' (Red Hen Press, 2004)
* ''Disability'' (
FC2 FC2 can refer to:
* FC2 (portal), an Internet content portal, frequently used by people in the Asian region
* FC2: an EEG electrode site according to the 10-20 system
* The nitrile version of the female condom, introduced in 2005
* Fire Controlma ...
, 2005)
* ''Many Ways to Get It, Many Ways to Say It'' (Chiasmus Press, 2005)
* ''Waterbaby'' (Soft Skull Press, 2007)
* ''Various Men Who Knew Us as Girls'' (Emergency Press, 2011)
* ''Something Wrong With Her'' (memoir, 2013)
Film:
* ''Anorgasmia'' (independent film, 2016)
References
External links
Website*
An Invisible Interview with Cris Mazza
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazza, Cris
1956 births
Living people
Brooklyn College alumni