Karen Karbo

Karen Karbo is an American author who writes many different kinds of books. She is known for her novels, non-fiction books, and a mystery series for young readers.

Many of her books have been very successful. Three of her novels were named Notable Books by The New York Times. She is also famous for her series of books about strong and inspiring women from history, like Katharine Hepburn and Julia Child. She has also written a popular mystery series for kids called Minerva Clark.

Karbo has won several awards for her writing, including an Oregon Book Award and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She has also written for many famous magazines like Vogue, Elle, and The New York Times. Critics have praised her books for being funny, smart, and witty.

Writing Career

Novels for Adults

Karen Karbo's novels are often funny and based on things from her own life, like her experiences in college, with family, and as a mother.

Her first novel, Trespassers Welcome Here (1990), is about a group of Russian immigrants living in the United States and working at a university. The New York Times praised the book for its humor and its understanding of what it's like to move to a new country.

Her second novel, The Diamond Lane (1991), tells the story of two sisters with very different dreams and complicated love lives. Critics called it a clever and funny story about Hollywood and marriage.

Her third novel, Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me (2000), explores the funny and sometimes difficult parts of being a new parent. A reviewer for The New York Times called the book "peevishly hilarious" for showing the real-life challenges of having a new baby in the family.

The Minerva Clark Mystery Series

Karbo also wrote books for young readers. She wanted to create an exciting and modern story for her own daughter. This led her to create Minerva Clark, a 13-year-old detective from Portland, Oregon.

After a strange accident involving electricity, Minerva is no longer self-conscious and becomes very brave, which is perfect for solving crimes. She is often described as a mix between the classic detective Nancy Drew and the quirky TV detective Adrian Monk. Minerva is helped by her three older brothers and her pet ferret.

There are three books in the series:

• Minerva Clark Gets a Clue (2005): Minerva investigates a case of identity theft.
• Minerva Clark Goes To The Dogs (2006): She helps a friend find a stolen diamond.
• Minerva Clark Gives Up The Ghost (2007): She searches for a missing ghost in a haunted grocery store.

Non-Fiction Books

Non-fiction books are about real people, events, and ideas. Like her novels, Karbo's non-fiction often connects to her own life experiences.

Her book Generation Ex: Tales From The Second Wives Club (2001) was called a "smart and ruefully funny" look at life after a marriage ends. Another book, The Stuff of Life: A Daughter’s Memoir (2008), is about her experience caring for her father during his final year. Reviewers said the book was both very sad and surprisingly funny.

Books About Famous Women

Karbo wrote a popular series of books that are part biography and part self-help guide. These books look at the lives of famous women to find lessons about how to live a unique and successful life. Karbo chose women who were not afraid to be different and followed their own paths.

• How to Hepburn (2007) is about the actress Katharine Hepburn. It shares stories from her life and career, and it even has a quiz to see if you can be as strong and independent as she was.

• The Gospel According to Coco Chanel (2009) looks at the life of the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel. The book explores how she built her own brand and changed fashion forever.

• How Georgia Became O’Keeffe (2011) is about the artist Georgia O'Keeffe. The book explores her life, her art, and her relationship with the photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

• Julia Child Rules (2013) finds lessons in the life of the famous chef Julia Child. It shows how her hard work, passion, and joy in being herself made her a success.

More Recent Non-Fiction

Karbo's book In Praise of Difficult Women (2018) celebrates women who broke the rules and stood up for themselves. It includes short biographies of 29 women, from famous figures like Amelia Earhart and Frida Kahlo to lesser-known but equally inspiring women.

Her book Yeah, No. Not Happening (2020) is about the pressure on women to be perfect. Karbo shares her own stories and encourages readers to focus on self-care and embrace who they are.

Personal Life

Karen Karbo was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Whittier, California. Her father was an industrial designer who designed the hood ornament for the Lincoln Continental car. Her grandmother was a fashion designer in Hollywood.

Karbo went to the University of Southern California (USC), where she studied English and filmmaking. After college, she wrote screenplays before deciding to become a novelist.

After her second novel became a success, she started writing for magazines. She wrote many exciting articles where she tried new and sometimes scary things, like diving with sharks, learning to box, and testing rollercoasters.

Karbo moved to Portland, Oregon, in the late 1990s. In 2019, she and her husband moved to the south of France, where she now lives.

Awards and Recognition

• Oregon Book Award for creative non-fiction (2005)
• General Electric Younger Writer Award (1989)
• National Endowment for the Arts fellowship for fiction (1992)
• Amtrak Writing Residency (2015), where she was chosen to write while traveling on long-distance trains.

Books by Karen Karbo

Non-fiction

• Yeah, No. Not Happening (2020)
• In Praise of Difficult Women (2018)
• Julia Child Rules (2013)
• How Georgia Became O’Keeffe (2011)
• The Gospel According to Coco Chanel (2009)
• The Stuff of Life: A Daughter’s Memoir (2008)
• How to Hepburn (2007)
• Generation Ex: Tales From The Second Wives Club (2001)

Novels

• Motherhood Made a Man Out Of Me (2000)
• The Diamond Lane (1991)
• Trespassers Welcome Here (1990)

Children's Books

• Minerva Clark Gets a Clue (2005)
• Minerva Clark Goes To The Dogs (2006)
• Minerva Clark Gives Up The Ghost (2007)