American playwright and poet
C. Quintana (also known as CQ and previously known as Christina Quintana) is a Cuban-American playwright, poet, and writer. Her works have been published in literary journals and produced across the United States. "The Heart Wants", her chapbook of poetry, was published in 2016 by Finishing Line Press.
Education and career.
Quintana attended Ursuline Academy New Orleans and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, a performing-arts high school. She graduated from College of Santa Fe in 2010 with a degree in theatre and a minor in creative writing. Under the guidance of Charles Mee, she earned an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts.
Quintana is the founder of QuintanaTown Consulting, a writing consultancy for scripts, college and graduate school essays, and cover letters. She founded the Live Lunch Series in 2014, a project aiming to bring theatre to workplaces during lunch. The project premiered at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and expanded to The Fortune Society, an organization that helps previously incarcerated people integrate into society.
Much of her writing revolves around themes of injustice, loss, queerness, and marginalized identities. At her website, she self-identifies as "a queer writer with Cuban and Louisiana roots," and says she "tells stories that mine the misconception of dissimilarity and proclaim, 'You are not alone.'"
Personal life.
Quintana, who is nonbinary and gender non-conforming, changed her professional listing from "Christina" to "C." in 2022. She goes by "CQ" and legally petitioned for this name change in 2023.
Awards.
Quintana is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships for her writing:
References.
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