Karen Karbo

Karen is a prolific award-winning full-time writer.  She has garnered many awards and honors, including the Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Literature, General Electric Younger Writer Award, and Oregon Book Award. Karen’s most recent book is titled The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World’s Most Elegant Woman. She is also the author of three novels, all of which were named New York Times Notable Books; three non-fiction books; and a trilogy of mysteries for younger readers, set in Portland.  Her essays, reviews, and non-fiction have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers nationwide.  She is a frequent contributor to “Entertainment Weekly” and The New York Times Op-Ed page.  Among her numerous speaking engagements, Karen was a guest lecturer at Portland State University’s (PSU’s) Graduate Nonfiction Writing Seminar and taught at PSU’s Haystack Summer Program in the Arts. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English, as well as a Master of Arts in Film and Television Production with a Writing Emphasis from the University of Southern California.  Karen currently lives in Portland and continues to spin tales that entertain readers of all ages.