Karen Engelmann

Karen Engelmann is a writer and designer. She was born and raised in the American Midwest, then moved to Sweden after completing university studies in drawing and design. The city of Malmö was home base for eight years, but she now lives just north of New York City.

Her new novel is The Stockholm Octavo.

Recently I asked Engelmann about what she was reading.  Her reply:

I’m a sporadic reader, which means that I may go for days or even a week without a book, take forever to finish a complex work, or devour several in a rush. It’s been a dry spell (mostly due to no electricity in the aftermath of Superstrom Sandy) but I am now a quarter into a historical novel, Noon at Tiffany’s. This just came out, and author Echo Heron is a friend whose work I admire. It is the story of Clara Wolcott Driscoll, a gifted artist working in the shadow of Louis Tiffany at the end of the 19th century. Clara’s genius becomes Tiffany’s triumph and financial success — a secret hidden until 2007 with the discovery of a large cache of letters. I worked in design and illustration for many years, so I can relate to the life of the hired pen. And because equal pay for equal work is still an issue, Clara’s story has significance far beyond that of a fascinating narrative. I love seeing how Echo solves the many challenges of historical fiction: blending fact with imagination, transporting us completely to another time, and creating a world with significance to contemporary readers.

Visit Karen Engelmann's website.

--Marshal Zeringue