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    Karen Schreck headshot
    Karen Halvorsen Schreck is the author of the historical novel Broken Ground (Simon & Schuster 2016), called a “masterfully written . . . must-read” by USA Today. Her previously published historical novel, Sing for Me, was described as "impressive…a well-wrought and edifying page-turner” (Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review). Karen's Young Adult novel, While He Was Away (Sourcebooks), was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. She’s also the author of Dream Journal (Hyperion), which was a 2006 Young Adult BookSense Pick, and the award-winning children’s book Lucy’s Family Tree (Tilbury House). Her short stories and articles have appeared in Hypertext, The Rumpus, Belt, and Image, as well as other literary journals and magazines, and have received various awards, including a Pushcart Prize, an Illinois State Arts Council Grant, and in 2008, first prize awards for memoir and devotional magazine writing from the Evangelical Press Association. Karen received her doctorate in English and Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She works as a freelance writer and editor, teaches writing and literature, and lives with her husband, the photographer Greg Halvorsen Schreck, and their two children in Wheaton, Illinois.

  • Home
  • Books
    • Selected Works
    • Broken Ground
    • Sing for Me
    • While He Was Away
    • Dream Journal
    • Lucy’s Family Tree
  • About
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

Uncategorized
Let there be Good News!

September 16, 2023

I've been working on a novel call All Are Welcome Here since 2015, and I’m over the moon that it has been acquired by founding editor Jaynie Royal at Regal …


Uncategorized
Upcoming Reading at AWP2023

February 28, 2023

Hello, after such a long time. For many reasons, a few of which you probably can guess, I've been away from here. Health issues, moving house, family stuff, work challenges, and, …


Uncategorized
EEN KETTING VAN HOOP!

February 15, 2018

Broken Ground hits the shelves again! In Holland!  Here's the cover, which I love! And please note the title, which I'd love to know how to translate exactly! EEN KETTING VAN HOOP, …


Uncategorized
12 tribes scattered abroad . . . greetings

September 6, 2017

"James, a servant of God, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greetings." In seventh grade, I had to memorize an entire book of the Bible: the Book of James. …


growing season  / growing, older  / how we love now  / Lifestyle  / sites to see  / Travel
Guatemala I

August 2, 2017

It's been a long time coming, this family trip to Guatemala. 19 years, minus four months, for Magdalena, 15 years, minus six months, for Teo—my two children, who were born …


Art  / Broken Ground  / Fiction  / Lifestyle  / sites to see  / wherefore art
Chicago’s American Writers Museum!

May 10, 2017

Yesterday I visited the soon-to-open American Writers Museum with my friend, Christine Maul Rice, whose 2016 novel Swarm Theory has received numerous awards. It was an incredible experience for me …


Art  / Broken Ground  / Fiction  / growing season  / growing, older  / how we love now  / Library  / wherefore art
Happy Birthday, Broken Ground!

May 3, 2017

This morning, my old friend Facebook notified me that one year ago today, Broken Ground was officially born.   Which is ironic because I took a long leave from Facebook this past …


Broken Ground  / growing season  / growing, older  / how we love now  / Travel
British Airways, Flight Darfur

January 30, 2017

I'd booked my international flight through Cheap-O Air, so naturally my seat was in the middle, near the back of the plane. All well and good and reasonably affordable. The …


Art  / Fiction  / growing, older  / how we love now  / Travel  / wherefore art
United Kingdom. Divided.

January 23, 2017

England. Early to mid-January. (After the fact; written while in England. Just never posted.) The sun rises late and sets early here. I forgot how far north the island lies. …


Art  / Broken Ground  / Fiction  / growing, older  / wherefore art
short hair, i do care.

November 30, 2016

Yesterday I cut inches from my hair. Or rather a stylist did, she by the name of Annette who maintains a chair at a salon in my hometown. Yes, this is …

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khschreck

  • khschreck

    A few more from Magdalena and Ken’s wedding day. A few more from Magdalena and Ken’s wedding day.🌺
    Let the marrying begin! I am so happy for my daugh Let the marrying begin! I am so happy for my daughter and son-in-law, and for their daughter, my granddaughter. Thank you for expanding our family, Magdalena, Ken, and Mila. What a gift it was to be able to share in your beautiful and meaningful ceremony. I wish you joy and peace as you grow together in the years to come!
    Fam. Fam.
    Lost Vegas/Westward/Land Ho Lost Vegas/Westward/Land Ho
    Greg bakes bread. Greg bakes bread.
    Jungle Book reimagined, choreographed by Akram Kha Jungle Book reimagined, choreographed by Akram Khan and performed by his company, will be at the Harris Theater in Chicago for one more more night, and if you can grab a ticket and go tomorrow on 11/11, do it. I’ll post a review from Chicago’s own New City magazine below, but, wow, those dancers’ performances, and wow, the sets and digital renderings, and wow, the score, and finally, wow, the radical adaptation of Kipling’s story. It was gorgeous, generous, moving, terrifying, when you really think about it, and memorable. Disney’s “I Want to be Just Like You” has never been so comically and tragically transposed. Please. Just be yourself. But then, easier said than done, given history, right?

#junglebookreimagined #akramkhan #akramkhancompany
    Celebratory meal with my favorite daughter at Beau Celebratory meal with my favorite daughter at Beauty and the Beast’s  castle.
    Instagram post 17970311159484507 Instagram post 17970311159484507
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