Cathryn J. Prince

Cathryn J. Prince brings a journalist’s sensibility to her work through meticulous research and investigation. Prince’s passion lies in revealing and personalizing little known and forgotten episodes of history, while placing them in a larger political and cultural context. Prince is the author of Queen of the Mountaineers: The Trailblazing Life of Fanny Bullock Workman (Chicago Review Press, 2019), American Daredevil: The Extraordinary Life of Richard Halliburton, the World’s First Celebrity Travel Writer (Chicago Review Press, 2016), Death in the Baltic: The WWII Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff (Palgrave MacMillan, 2013), awarded the Military Writers Society of America 2013 Founders Award and selected as a Military Book Club selection. She is also the author of A Professor, a President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science (Prometheus, 2010), which won the Connecticut Press Club’s 2011 Book Award for nonfiction. Additionally, she wrote Burn the Town and Sack the Banks: Confederates Attack Vermont! (Carrol & Graf, 2006) and Shot from the Sky: American POWs in Switzerland (US Naval Institute Press, 2003).

Prince is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism at SUNY-Purchase in New York. She also worked as a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor in Switzerland and in New York, where she reported on the United Nations. She holds an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, a B.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University, and an M.A. in American studies from Fairfield University. She is a frequent contributor to the Christian Science Monitor, The Times of Israel, and The Journal of the American Revolution, as well as several regional magazines.

Twitter: @CathrynPrince

Instagram: @cjprince7676

What’s your favorite comic strip or graphic novel?

My favorite comic strip is Gary Larson’s “The Far Side.” Hands down. I have a dark sense of humor and I was overjoyed to learn he’s going to be periodically releasing new content. 

What’s your favorite non-reading activity?

Hiking, walking in the woods. I turn to the outdoors when I need to recharge and am fortunate to live about a mile from a large nature preserve with miles of trails. My favorite vacation is one that involves hiking as well, ideally Acadia National Park.

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

There are two. The first is not necessarily my favorite piece of art, but I’ve always loved the "Unicorn in Captivity” tapestry at The Cloisters in New York City. I was probably 5- or 6-years-old when I saw it for the first time and I remember standing there before it, completely mesmerized. So it makes me nostalgic.  However, my absolute favorite piece of art is René Magritte’s "Empire of Light," which depicts a dark street with a solitary street light beneath a sunny sky.That paradox speaks to me as someone who is drawn to complicated stories and people.

Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?

I speak French and while it doesn’t influence my writing, I do think differently in it. I’m more deliberate and considered when speaking French, both because it’s a second language and the grammar and syntax are different. I find it compels me to slow down a bit. 

What do you worry about? 

With the First Amendment under assault I believe it’s never been more critical for all citizens to deepen their understanding of what it means and how absolutely vital it is to a functioning democracy. Freedom of speech is a rare thing, it separates the United States from many other countries. It’s what allows us to protest in the streets, cover the government and other institutions, practice our religion; and so it’s incumbent upon each and every one of us to protect it - journalists and non-journalists alike.