Karen Luke Jackson
In life and when writing, Karen Luke
Jackson draws upon contemplative practices, oral history, and the natural world
for inspiration. She’s the author of GRIT
(Finishing Line Press, 2020), a poetry chapbook chronicling her sister’s life as an
award-winning clown, and The View Ever
Changing (Kelsay Books, 2021),
a full-length collection exploring the power of place and family ties.
Karen
has also published poems and short stories in numerous journals including Broad River Review (Rash Poetry Award), Ruminate (Janet McCabe Poetry Award, Honorable Mention), Atlanta Review, One, Susurrus, Willows
Wept, Kestrel, Reckon Review, Emrys Journal, Nobody’s Home, Friends Journal, moonShine
review, Channel Magazine, and Kakalak.
An educator with a
doctorate from North Carolina State University and a facilitator with the Center for Courage & Renewal, Karen co-edited, with Dr. Sally Z. Hare, The Story Mandala: Finding Wholeness in a
Divided World. This collection of essays explores how circles of trust transform
educational, religious, and health care settings.
Karen is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network, Netwest, and
the North Carolina Poetry Society. In 2018, she was privileged to study with Pat Riviere-Seel in the NCPS Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet
Series.
A tree lover and an
enthusiastic grandmother, Karen resides in a cottage on a goat pasture in Flat
Rock, North Carolina. Here she’s working on a third collection of poems and exploring what
it means to be an elder.
For more information, visit www.karenlukejackson.com