April 8, 2004

Profile: Cara Lockwood

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

Title: Writer, School of Communication

What do you do? I write articles for several of the school’s publications, including Dialogue — the alumni magazine — as well as the view book, our career guide and the annual report. I also do some grant writing for the dean in support of her ongoing research.

What kind of writing do you do outside of work? I write fiction, romantic comedies geared primarily for women in their 20s and 30s. My first novel, “I Do (But I Don’t),” came out last summer. It’s the story of a divorced wedding planner who has to come to terms with her own failed marriage while dealing with some very demanding clients, brides who have often lost sight of what’s important. My second book, “Pink Slip Party,” is out now. It’s about a woman who loses her job and her boyfriend at the same time. She deals with a lot of life changes and struggles to figure out how to handle them. She falls in with some other disgruntled ex-employees who decide they’re going to avenge themselves on the company that fired them. It’s actually set in Chicago and features many local landmarks.

Are you from Chicago? No, I grew up in Texas and studied English at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, I returned to the Austin area to work at the city’s daily newspaper.

As a writer, do you find inspiration everywhere, even at work? Writing is really a process. In terms of inspiration, the people I know and the experiences I have can all lead to ideas.

So what’s next? I’m working on the third book. It will be fiction, but it’s inspired by my experiences growing up in Texas with a mixed racial background. My dad is Japanese-American and my mom has an English and Irish heritage. They both still live in Texas. I’m looking to do something about the culture clash. And, hopefully some family stories will emerge.

— Stephen Anzaldi