It was December of 1965. I'd just turned nine a few weeks earlier. Daddy explained he was going to go away for awhile. He was leaving before Christmas. He wouldn't return until shortly before my tenth birthday. He said he was leaving to fight for[..]
As someone who lost her father to the violence of the front lines in a war perpetuated by America's invasive foreign policy, I do not condone violence. I don't even allow guns in my home because I am so anti-violence. We don't watch violent movies.[..]
The first thing I killed was no kind thing at all: It was an enemy soldier. Which is a hell of a lot easier to say than the first thing I ever killed was a man." - Steve Mason, Vietnam veteran & poet laureate of[..]
War and its memorials always leave me feeling conflicted. As a Gold Star daughter, I am always thankful when the sacrifices of the fallen and their families are acknowledged. During Monday's dedication of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial at Fort Benning's National Infantry[..]
Get prepared to welcome more flag-draped coffins home. They will be arriving by Christmas. More of America's sons & daughters are going to be slain in Afghanistan. You remember that American Sniper movie? Be prepared for more of the same. The man who would[..]
I stopped at the concierge desk. It was nearly 8 p.m. and we had not yet had dinner. "Where's a good place to get pizza?" I asked. "Giordano's," he replied. "Is it far?" "No, easy. Three blocks up to Michigan and then three blocks[..]
There's a stillness over the house, the unusual quietness that is companion to the sick and ailing. The Bean is sleeping now, propped up against a pillow that deludes his Mimi into thinking it helps him breath, being upright a bit instead of flat on[..]
There are these documents most every Gold Star family has stashed somewhere. The signatures on those documents change from era to era, but the White House seal, it stays the same. The ones I have are over 50 years old now. They belonged to my mother[..]
Karen's Note: The following is a post from a veteran-turned-pastor friend. Many of you regular readers are already familiar with Roger. Please feel free to share your thoughts with him. I know he'd like to engage with you on these matters. Roger lives and serves in[..]
Do good. As much good as you can find to do. Do it. I've been reading Ann Voskamp's book, The Broken Way. I want you to read it, too. I'm giving away two copies. For a chance to win, you need to leave your name below[..]
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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