Cynthia Morgan

A Portrait of a Writer

Interests: Writing, cooking, gardening, swimming, and reading.

When Cynthia Morgan was a child, she certainly didn’t think she would be a caretaker when she grew up. After graduating from college, Cynthia wanted to try her wings at novel writing before getting involved with a teaching career.

“I figured I needed something to tide me over for only a year or two that wouldn’t force me to work an eight hour day. I discovered a caretaking position at San Jose State University. Although the wages were low, $300 a month, this position also offered living quarters. That was the day that altered the course of my life.”

Cynthia’s first caretaking position was working for a wine family, housecleaning, chauffeuring and cooking. For this work she received her own cottage in the middle of the vineyard, with an extensive rose garden.

She has since lived in a cabin in the mountains, a cottage on a small ranch, a mansion and had her own house at a resort in Big Sur along the river. She would get up at five a.m. and write until noon, then spend the afternoon on physical labor cleaning cabins and doing laundry.

“The biggest benefit for me is TIME to write. And I’ve found that the people I work for like the idea that I’m using my free time for writing and not escaping off the property. Landowners know that, with a writer caretaker, they have someone who will be there to watch over the property.”