I’m the author of a poetry collection, Sister, and four creative writing adventure books: Rip the Page!, Leap Write In!, Write Back Soon! and Rip ALL the Pages! 52 Tear Out Adventures for Creative Writers. I collaborate with writers of all ages and a few artists to inspire what most wants to be made on (or off) the page. As a writing guide/mentor to girls, maker of picture books and traveling author, my aim is to explore and expand my imagination and those of others. A recipient of a few grants, literary awards and fellowships/residencies from Hedgebrook, Numeroventi, The Moth, and Djerassi Resident Artists Program, I host creatives at the Writer’s Nest in Florence, Italy. I also write remotely via Zoom with writers internationally. I spend part of each year in the San Francisco Bay Area leading one-on-one and small group writing adventures in unique spaces: private gardens, a docked sailboat, converted lumberyard, and even a chocolate studio!
To find out more about working with me to start/finish/publish a creative project, set up a complimentary 20 minute phone or Zoom session to see if we’re a good fit. As a creative writer and teaching artist I’ll meet you exactly where you’re at to motivate and inspire your next poem, story, book.
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Rip the Page! inspires creativity to flow, sparkle, whoosh, and claim a child’s imagination. Karen Benke uses playful, inviting, inspiring language to form ‘hooks’ to snag the interest and ‘reel in’ the imagination of children to write. Great for an individual writer on their own, and wonderful as a guideline for teachers or home-school parents to inspire young hearts.
—San Francisco Book Review
The wide-ranging essays in Write Back Soon! cover a lot of ground, everything from anecdotes to hands on prompts for inspiration. The gist of Karen’s books is that the best kind of writing helps us not just connect with others, but, in surprising ways, also to ourselves.
— Raluca Albu, Guernica, A Magazine of Art & Politics
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