Cynthia Barnes

Cynthia Barnes has photographed a suicide bombing in Baghdad for Newsweek, sang karaoke with Tibetan cowboys for Slate, flirted with Billy Bob Thornton for Premiere, and joined an archaeological dig for National Geographic.

A Denver-based Mizzou grad who can spot a misplaced apostrophe at fifty feet, Cynthia will do almost anything for a story. Throw a hand grenade? Why not? Eat a bug? Bon appétit. Dive out of an airplane? Geronimo!

What she won’t do is whiff deadlines, throw a hissy fit over editing, or turn in a tired formula piece. If you want clean, compelling copy … on deadline … you want freelance journalist Cynthia Barnes.

Travel & Lifestyle

On the Road: Utah’s Parks

Boston Globe Magazine. Fall Travel 2021.

Saab Sister Not Sob Sister

Heartbreak, hot springs and hope: This road trip for the Denver Post has been shared almost 7,500 times.

Hut Trip Heaven

Exploring Colorado’s legendary hut system for The Discoverer.

Timbuktu For the Timid

“Notable,” The Best American Travel Writing.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Scuba diving: Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Humanities, etc.

Mom was so proud!

Archaeology for National Geographic.

Cover profile

Activist/doctor PJ Parmar for Westword.

Purrfect

LA’s Cat Art Show for the Toronto Star.

Elephant polo?

Yes, elephant polo.

The Big Eddy site

Cover for American Archaeology.

Dispatches on China’s Kingdom of Women

For Slate.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Blowing bubbles

On Koh Lanta and Bermuda for the Toronto Star.

Food & Drink

Anatomy of a Dish: Goan Prawn Curry

Offline right now, but this tasty example was written for Karma Resorts’ in-house magazine.

Ten Iconic Cocktails & Where They Were Created

Negronis and Martinis and Sazeracs, oh my! For Travel Trivia.

Spice Is Nice

Seven Spiciest Foods in the World, and then perhaps a big glass of water.

A Deep Dish on Pie

Reflections on death, Disney, the Great American Pie Festival, and going to war. For Slate.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Public Relations & More

From thought pieces for Fortune 500 executives to press releases for five-star resorts, Cynthia provides confidential content for some of the nation’s top public relations agencies.

She has excellent references, and can share NDA-compliant examples upon request.

If you need an email campaign, web content, or brochure copy, Cynthia will make it lively and actionable.

In addition, she provides proofreading and editing services to amazing companies such as Phocuswright. You should probably call her for all your content needs. (If she can’t help, she’ll recommend someone who can.)