I recently read a note from someone saying, "I'm not big on Jesus Christ, but I like the family gatherings and gift-giving part of Christmas and the spirituality of it." I winced. Poor maligned Jesus, always getting the blame for the wrongs others do.[..]
While I never want to return to life in the trailer park, I am thankful that I was forced into that situation at an early age. No matter how chaotic our lives became in the wake of my father's death, there were always people around[..]
He did something good, y'all, and for a brief moment, albeit very brief, I saw Trump as the president he could be - if only. If only he wasn't hateful. If only he put the best interest of the country ahead of his own selfish[..]
I've watched some of the interviews Omarosa has conducted to promote her book - Unhinged. I don't know the lady. I only know the "role" she has played in various "reality" shows. I am not a fan of reality TV, have never once watched Big[..]
Maybe it's because I belong to the club now that I notice these things. A club I am thrilled to be a member of, mind you. It took longer than I imagined and the path wasn't always easy but I'm thrilled whenever the boys run[..]
[caption id="attachment_3909" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Karen Spears Zacharias with then Senator Barack Obama at the Senate Hart Bldg. prior to his first term in office.[/caption] Sometimes people ask: Whose's the most famous person you've ever met? I used to pause before answering - there are[..]
Mama loved Charlie Rose. She'd come in from work, grab herself a bite to eat, kick off her shoes, and curl her legs up in her comfy chair. She'd pull that ashtray closer as she flipped the remote to Rose. Rose was her routine indulgence.[..]
I've been working through the topic of forgiveness all year. It is the theme of the upcoming book - Christian Bend (Fall 2017, Mercer University Press). It's one of those God poetry things. I knew when I began writing this Appalachian tale that takes place in Tennessee[..]
In spite of growing up on the tailwind of the Hippie-era, I'm a traditionalist at heart. I like the Book of Common Prayer, the Our Father, Rosary beads, and the way Episcopalians always say, "And also with you". I love the formality of a processional,[..]
"Our Father who art in Heaven," I prayed, even as a little boy in Sudan, "hallowed be thy name." I was baptized as a child and learned about God and his will and his Kingdom in Catholic schools. I have always believed that[..]
Karen Spears Zacharias is an Appalachian writer, a former journalist, and author of numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction.
She holds a MA in Appalachian Studies from Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and a MA in Creative Media Practice from the University of West Scotland, Ayr, Scotland.
Her debut novel Mother of Rain received the Weatherford Award for Best in Appalachian Fiction from The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College, Kentucky.
Zacharias was named Appalachian Heritage Writer in 2018 by Shepherd University.
Her work has been featured on National Public Radio, CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post and in numerous anthologies.
She lives at the foot of the Cascade Mountains in Deschutes County, Oregon, where she’s an active member of the League of Women Voters and Central Oregon Writers Guild. She is a member of Phi Beta Delta and Phi Kappa Phi. A Gold Star daughter, she is a fierce advocate for democratic principles and women’s rights.
Zacharias taught First-Amendment Rights at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, and continues to teach at writing workshops around the country.
Her forthcoming novel No Perfect Mothers will be released by Mercer University Press, Spring 2024.
For more information on Karen and her books, click here
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