2023 C.V.

Experience

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, CA — High School English Teacher

August 2020 - Present

  • Teaching 10th grade United States Literature, developing lesson plans, delivering content, generating activities and class discussions.

  • Adapting and expanding 10th grade curriculum. Introducing creative writing to the scope of study.

Custom Legal Marketing, San Francisco, CA — Copywriter, Content Strategist, Sales Assistant

September 2019 - June 2020

  • Created internal marketing strategies, homepage copy, brand voice, strategic content, newsletter, and blogs. Knowledge of SEO best practices.

  • Thoughtful communication with leads, and created proposals and contracts. Increased conversion and brand awareness.

  • Creating engaging, original content and managing editorial deadlines for clients across various industries, including marketing, visual arts, and video streaming technology.

  • Lead copywriter for weekly newsletter and other internal marketing campaign projects.

College Transitions — College/Graduate School Essay Tutor (remote, part-time)

October 2019 - Present

  • Tutoring students in high school and college to build original ideas and instructing them to write effective personal narratives for their college and graduate school application essays.

University of California Davis, Davis, CA — Instructor of Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction

September 2018 - June 2019

  • Lead instructor for my own class of 22 undergraduate students. I was in charge of all aspects of organizing and leading the class.

  • Created syllabus, class readings and pedagogical activities related to the craft of fiction writing.

  • Led a workshop-style seminar, gave students feedback on writings and workshop stories, met with students one-on-one to assist them in any areas related to their fiction writing and revision process.

University of California Davis, Davis, CA — Teaching Assistant

September 2017 - June 2018

  • Leading discussion sections of undergraduate students for various courses in the English Department.

  • Assisting professors with administrative and pedagogical tasks, including grading and supporting students with one-on-one writing consultations.

Custom Legal Marketing, San Francisco, CA — Editor, Copywriter

June 2015 - September 2017

  • Edited strategic online marketing content for 33 law firms, including articles, blogs, press releases and amplified content. Copyedited and fact-checked more than 120 articles per month using AP Style.

  • Wrote strategic content, such as website home pages, press releases, blogs, and newsletters.

Fine Arts Museums SF, San Francisco, CA — Intern

March - June 2017

  • Led education activities for Monday School Program for school groups (K-12) in the Monet: The Early Years exhibition at the Legion of Honor.

  • Coordinated school groups, facilitated arts education activities in the galleries, and assisted docents and teaching artists with organizational tasks during the Monday School Programs.

Robinson Institute of Languages, Buenos Aires, Argentina — English as a Foreign Language Teacher

October - December 2016

  • Planned and conducted one-on-one and group lessons for adult English-language learners whose native language is Spanish.

  • Implemented effective pedagogical practices to improve students’ pronunciation, conversational skill, grammar, and fluency in English.

ZYZZYVA, San Francisco, CA — Editorial Intern

July - December 2014

  • Wrote weekly 800 to 1,000-word contemporary fiction book reviews and conducted author Q&A interviews, published online at zyzzyva.org.

  • Reviewed and selected unsolicited fiction and poetry submissions for publication, and organized records of submissions using Microsoft Excel.

  • Proofread, copyedited, and fact-checked the Winter 2014 issue.

The California Aggie, Davis, CA — Arts Editor

June 2013 - June 2014

  • Managed staff of 11 arts desk writers by leading weekly meetings, researching article topics, assigning stories, and streamlining the publishing process with other editors.

  • Edited 11 articles, reviews, and columns per week in person with arts writers for a total of 30 issues in the 2013-2014 publishing year.

Education

UC Davis — M.A. in Creative Writing 

September 2017 - June 2019

UC Davis — B.A. English, Minor in Art History

September 2010 - June 2014. Graduated Summa Cum Laude

Languages and Skills

Spanish, Native speaker. 

Literary Translation, Spanish to English

Awards

American Shorter Fiction — 2023 The Short(er) Fiction Prize Semifinalist

The Adroit Journal — 2023 Anthony Veasna So Scholarship Semifinalist

Tin House Summer Workshop Scholar — Recipient of a 2019 Scholarship at the Tin House Summer Workshop. Workshop student of Claire Vaye Watkins.

Fulbright — Recipient of a 2020 Fulbright Open Study Award in Argentina for Creative Writing. Fellowship period: February-December 2020.

PEN America Awards — One of 12 writers to receive the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers 2018

Margrit Mondavi Graduate Fellow 2018 — Recipient of $5,000 fellowship to conduct research for a creative writing project in La Guajira, Colombia.

Gilbert Prize in Fiction — First place winner of the best graduate short story contest, 2018. 

Best Creative Honors Thesis Award — For a collection of short stories written for her Senior thesis, 2014

Diana Lynn Bogart Prize for Fiction — First place winner, 2014

Pamela Maus Prize for Fiction — First place winner,  2014

English Department Academic Citation — For academic excellence in English, 2014

Dean’s Honors list — For academic excellence, 2010-2014

Publications

Michigan Quarterly Review — Short story, “Don’t Leave, Cecilia” forthcoming in July 2023 issue

Action, Spectacle— Short story, “Bones of Girls” in Winter 2022 issue.

War, Literature, and the Arts — Short story, “Sister, Answer Me” published in Spring 2019 Issue.

PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2018 — Short story, “New Years in La Calera,” Catapult Press anthology, August 2018.

EPOCH Literary Magazine — “New Years in La Calera” in Volume 66 No. 3, September 2017.

ZYZZYVA Literary Magazine — Eight book reviews on zyzzyva.org/contributor/cristina-fries

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá — Spanish-to-English Translations featured throughout website

Dulwich Picture Gallery — Art reviews for London, UK, website. 

Writing Projects and Creative Collaborations

The School for Girls Who Lost Everything in the Fire — in-progress libretto of full length libretto, in collaboration with musical composition by Ryan Suleiman and produced by West Edge Opera. Performance of first scene in Snapshot 2022 in San Francisco, CA.

Don’t Leave, Cecilia — short story collection in-progress, UC Davis Creative Writing Master's thesis.

Bones of Girls — Libretto written for opera, musical composition by Ryan Suleiman.  Forthcoming performance by Rogue Music Project in Sacramento, CA, in November 2019.

Moon, Bride, Dogs — Libretto written for opera, musical composition by Ryan Suleiman. NANOWorks opera performed it in Atlanta, GA, on May 30, 2019. Originally performed by Brooklyn Art Song Society in UC Davis Pitzer Center on May 11, 2018.

CinemaSteve Studios, San Jose, CA — August 2017 - January 2018. Lead actress and screenplay creative consultant for two short films.