Karen Anderson
Essays by Karen AndersonKaren Anderson is a writer who lives and works in Traverse City, Michigan. She was a columnist for the Traverse City Record-Eagle for 30 years and published two collections.
Since 2005, she has contributed weekly essays to Interlochen Public Radio. An illustrated collection of her essays was published in 2017, “Gradual Clearing: Weather Reports from the Heart.”
Karen has a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan and is retired from Northwestern Michigan College where she was director of marketing and public relations. She enjoys camping, canoeing, reading, writing, listening and learning.
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On the value of having a default cause: something to blame, something fairly blameless, neutral, available. -
We all know that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are listed in the Declaration of Independence as “inalienable rights.” But why? Why that?
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Karen Anderson reflects on being told to "slow down" in retirement. (She'll let you know when she does.)
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When my daughter was 24, she was diagnosed with cancer and given a grim prognosis.
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I’m having lunch with a friend and ask about a man we both know. She answers matter-of-factly. “Oh, he died of a heart attack a few years ago.”
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What I need, I thought, is to see someone I know who’s a cat person, but the store was full of strangers.
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If we are parents, we raise our children with the goal that they will grow up and leave our home to make a life for themselves.
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Dick points behind me and I turn slowly to see twin fawns scampering out of the woods into the wide meadow next to our campsite.
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Camping used to be easier. It used to be an adventure to cook outdoors and sleep on the ground.
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I know the season is mostly over, but I still need an answer. How do you pick out a good cantaloupe? My record of selection is poor.
