Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories by Cynthia Morrison Phoel

Cynthia Morrison Phoel’s (Bulgaria 1994-96) new collection Cold Snap is out, published this June by Southern Methodist University Press. In his review of the book on this website (which is also quoted on the flap copy of Cynthia’s book) Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1991-93) writes, “If Lorrie Moore had served as a Peace Corps voluneer in Bulgaria, she might have written Cold Snap.” Also on the flap copy, Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963-65) writes: “I am greatly impressed with Cold Snap, a look at Bulgarian life–family life, school life, frustration, even passion and desire. Cynthia Phoel writes from inside this culture, convincingly and with real insight.”

Not bad praise from two great RPCV writers. Cynthia was stationed in a Bulgarian town not unlike the one in her stories. She holds degrees from Cornell and the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and her stories have appeared in the Missouri Review, Gettyburg Review, and Harvard Review. She lives near Boston with her husband and three children. She is a writer to watch.