Cynthia McQuillin

Cynthia McQuillin (July 25, 1953 – January 14, 2006) was a filk singer and writer as well as an author and artist. She lived in the San Francisco Bay area. Her songs touched the usual filk topics of science fiction, fantasy, and cats, but also feminism, love, Paganism, and Sizeism.

Her life partner and frequent musical collaborator was the filk singer James Robinson, who was then known as Dr. Jane Robinson. McQuillin reportedly said, upon meeting James for the first time, "At last I get to meet the man I fell in love with!"

Cynthia was inducted to the Filk Hall of Fame at FilKONtario in 1998.

A book of songs by McQuillin as the "Cynthia McQuillin Songbook, ("everything that Dr. Jim Robinson, Kristoph Klover & Margaret Davis, Harold Stein, Mary Creasey, Kay Shapero, Bob Kanefsky, Alan Thiesen, and Lee Gold could find in 2013") was compiled and published by Lee Gold in 2013.

Discography

 * Crystal Singer - 1981
 * Crystal Vision (with Phillip Wayne)
 * Singer in the Shadow - 1983
 * Minus Ten and Counting - 1983
 * Shadow Spun - 1986
 * Dark Moon Circle - 1987
 * Moon Shadows - 1989, reissued by Shadowsinger Records
 * Dreams of Fortune - 1991, reissued by Shadowsinger Records
 * Midlife Crisis - performed by Midlife Crisis: Cynthia McQuillin and Dr. Jane Robinson
 * Bedlam Cats - 1992 - performed by Midlife Crisis, plus Margaret Davis, Kristoph Klover, Patrick McKenna, and Sharon Williams
 * Uncharted Stars - 1993
 * This Heavy Heart - 1994
 * Witch's Dance - 1998

Pegasus Awards

 * 1999 Best Writer/Composer
 * 2006 Best Writer/Composer (awarded posthumously)

Pegasus Nominations

 * 1987 Best Filk Song, "Crimson and Crystal"
 * 1988 Best Writer/Composer
 * 1989 Best Writer/Composer
 * 1991 Best War/Vengeance Song, "The Tyrant's Tale"
 * 1992 Best Writer/Composer
 * 1993 Best Filk Song, "I Would Walk With You"
 * 1993 Best Writer/Composer
 * 1996 Best Filk Song, "Black Davie's Ride"
 * 1997 Best Writer/Composer
 * 1997 Best Sorcery Song, "Crimson and Crystal"
 * 1999 (w/ Jordin Kare) Best Fool Song, "Fool to Feed the Drive"
 * 2004 Best Classic Filk Song, "Black Davie's Ride"
 * 2006 Best Writer/Composer
 * 2007 Best Classic Filk Song, "Black Davie's Ride"
 * 2008 Best Tragedy Song, "Black Davie's Ride"

Convention Honors

 * Baycon, 1991: Special Guest of Honor (Filk)
 * OVFF, 1991: Guest of Honor
 * Fourplay, January 31-February 2, 1992: Guest
 * Conterpoint Too!, June 21–23, 1996: invited but unable to attend
 * ConFurence 10, April 1–4, 1999: Guest of Honor (along with Mary Hanson-Roberts, artist)
 * FilKONtario, 2003: Guest of Honor (along with Dr. Jane Robinson)
 * Fourplay (UK national filk convention #4), 1992 Guest of Honor (along with Dr. Jane Robinson)
 * Marcon 39, 2004: Filk Guest of Honor (along with Dr. Jane Robinson)