I admit I've taken refugee since the election. I am working hard to preserve my mental health. I grew up the child of a solider killed in America's most contentious war - Vietnam. I grew up ignored by my nation, neglected by my rightfully grieving[..]
For the life of me I will never understand how the people for whom this was a theme song of the Draft era: Some folks are born made to wave the flagHoo, they're red, white and blueAnd when the band plays "Hail to the chief"Ooh,[..]
It does not surprise me in the least that Republicans have made a young woman the focus of their fears. When they fail to get wins in every other area of their lives, this political group has always focused their attention on young women. It[..]
I had just returned to the VRBO where I was isolating when my son called. "Are you watching the vote count?" he asked. "Not yet," I replied. "I just got back from the hospital." Our daughter Shelby had given birth earlier that morning. It was[..]
On every Social Media and news site I am bombarded with stories about college students rising up against the violence in the Middle East, specifically the innocent people in Gaza caught up in a war between Hamas terrorists and Israeli Defense Forces. There are fights[..]
She was pushing a broom, picking up litter left by inconsiderate customers. I'm sorry if I'm in your way, she said. Not at all, I replied, scooting my chair to make room for her. I read her name tag and thought it said Stacey, so[..]
Our biggest challenge is electing politicians worthy of the country they represent. Politicians who stop tearing the country down every time they lose. That was the admonition I heard from a news show host this morning. The host went on to say that this country[..]
Hardly anyone ever mentions the people we don't miss at the family gatherings. I don't mean those we love who have gone on to what I hope is an eternal celebration and not an eternal rest. I'm talking about the people who no longer gather[..]
Whenever I read a story about populations, no matter what the story is, I want to know the specifics of the demographics of the story. So on the day when we surpassed the 500,000 mark of deaths due to Covid, I wondered if there was[..]
My plan was to tell you how grateful I was for all the work you all did to elect Jon Ossoff and Rev. Warnock. My plan was to tell you how all that work had ensured that my grandson, born on Epiphany, was welcomed into[..]
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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