The Literary Bio

Karen Benke received her M.A. in Writing from the University of San Francisco and her B.A. in English and Creative Writing from California State University, Chico. She is the author of Sister (Conflu:X Press, 2004), a chapbook of poetry. Her work is published in a number of literary magazines and anthologies, including Ploughshares, Hawaii Pacific Review, Runes, Poetry East, Tifert, Rockhurst Review, Clackamas Literary Review, HeartLodge, and Woman Prayers: Prayers by Women from Throughout History and Around the World (HarperCollins, 2003). She has received Individual and Community Artist Grants from the Marin Arts Council and was awarded writing residencies from Hedgebrook and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. A poet-teacher for 16 years with the California Poets in the Schools program, she holds a Masters Level certificate in Intuition Medicine from the Academy of Intuition Medicine, is a writing guide, and Poetry Editor of Memoir (and) Literary Journal. She lives in Mill Valley, California, with her husband, a screenwriter and arts attorney, and their seven year-old son.

The Other Bio

Some of the jobs held while embarking on a writing career include:
short-order cook, administrative assistant, receptionist, waitress, babysitter, bookseller, and kayak guide. Good advice received early on: select a day job that does not require you to expend too much creative (or psychic) energy. Guard and save this for your writing. (Yes, I know, easier said than done.)