Candace Bushnell

Candace Bushnell
Name	Candace Bushnell
Birth date	1 December 1958
Birth place	Glastonbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Author, columnist, television producer
Notable works	Sex and the City
Spouse	Charles Askegard, 2002, 2012

Candace Bushnell is an American author and columnist whose sharp, observational writing about the social and romantic lives of women in New York City defined a cultural era. Her 1996 book, Sex and the City, a compilation of her newspaper columns, became the basis for the iconic HBO television series and subsequent film franchise, cementing her status as a keen chronicler of modern relationships. Bushnell's subsequent novels, which often explore themes of love, money, and power within elite social circles, have solidified her position as a bestselling author and a distinctive voice in contemporary fiction.

Early life and education

Born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, she was raised by her parents, Calvin and Camille Bushnell. Her early interest in writing was encouraged by her mother, a former professional ice skater. She attended Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, Vermont, before moving to New York City at the age of nineteen to pursue a writing career. She briefly studied at New York University but left to focus on her professional ambitions, taking various jobs while writing short stories.

Career

Her early career involved writing for publications like Mademoiselle and Self magazine. Her big break came in 1993 when she was hired by The New York Observer to write a weekly column, "Sex and the City," which offered a candid, fictionalized account of the dating scene among affluent New Yorkers. The column's success led to the publication of the bestselling book collection in 1996. The adaptation of her work by Darren Star for HBO launched a global phenomenon. Following this, she authored numerous bestselling novels including Four Blondes, Lipstick Jungle—which was adapted into an NBC television series—and The Carrie Diaries, a prequel that was later developed for The CW network. She has also served as a producer on several television adaptations of her work.

Personal life

In 2002, she married New York City Ballet principal dancer Charles Askegard in a ceremony in Manhattan; the couple divorced in 2012. She has been open about the challenges of relationships and marriage, themes that frequently permeate her writing. She maintains homes in New York City and Bridgehampton, New York, and is known for her active social life within the city's cultural circles. Her experiences and observations from these environments continue to provide rich material for her novels and public commentary.

Works

Her bibliography includes the seminal nonfiction work Sex and the City. Her major novels are Four Blondes, Trading Up, Lipstick Jungle, One Fifth Avenue, The Carrie Diaries, and Summer and the City. She also authored Killing Monica, a satirical novel about fame, and Is There Still Sex in the City?, which was adapted into a Paramount+ series. Her works have been translated into over forty languages and published internationally by houses like Grand Central Publishing.

Awards and recognition

She received the Matrix Award for her work in books from New York Women in Communications. Her influence on popular culture has been recognized by institutions like the Museum of the Moving Image and she has been featured in lists by publications such as Time magazine. The enduring success of the Sex and the City franchise, which has spawned Emmy-winning television, major motion pictures, and global fashion trends, stands as a primary testament to her cultural impact.

Legacy and influence

She is widely credited with capturing and defining the zeitgeist of a generation of women navigating career, friendship, and romance in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The characters and scenarios from her columns and novels, particularly through the lens of the HBO series, have entered the global lexicon, influencing fashion, social attitudes, and media representations of single life. Her work paved the way for numerous female-centric narratives in television and literature, inspiring creators and authors to explore similar themes of female autonomy and complex social dynamics in urban settings.

Category:American novelists Category:1958 births Category:Living people