Caryn James

Cayrn James
Born	Caryn A. James United States
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Providence College Brown University
Occupation	Film critic, journalist, writer

Caryn A. James is an American film critic, journalist, university lecturer and writer. She grew up in Providence and completed Bachelor "summa cum laude" at Providence College, before obtaining her doctorate in English Literature at Brown University in 1980. Originally, James had planned to enter academia, but by 1984, she was working as a freelance journalist at The New York Times New York Newsday, TV Guide and Vogue. She finally landed a three-week temporary position at the New York Times Book Review in late 1984 and later became a permanent staff member.

In 1988, she moved to the daily newspaper, as a cultural reporter, and in 1989 started doing film critiques. In 1995, she began working as a television critic and in 1997, James was named the New York Times's first chief television critic. A year later, she published her first novel, Glorie, to good reviews.

In 2006, she published her second novel, What Caroline Knew: A Novel, and by 2010 had left the Times, returning to film critiques. She then began working at Marie Claire magazine while also doing freelance work. The following year, James began working with Indie Wire in a division created for her James on Screens as well as working as an adjuct professor in film studies at Columbia University.