Karen Osborn is an accomplished American author, well-known for her works in historical fiction and women's fiction. Born in 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, she was raised by Lois and Kenton Osborn. Osborn's writing journey began with poetry, and she later transitioned to fiction, earning her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Over the years, Osborn has built a successful career as a novelist and poet, with her work receiving critical acclaim. She has been a professor at the University of Kentucky Lexington and Clemson University in South Carolina. Her writing has also earned her several honors and awards, including the New York Times Notable Book Award for her novel "Patchwork" in 1991. Additionally, she has been recognized by the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Foundation for Women Grant, the 1981 McKean Award for Poetry, the 1979 Mary Vincent Long Award, and the 1979 Nancy Thorp Prize for Poetry.
Osborn's bibliography includes five novels: "Patchwork," "Between Earth and Sky," "The River Road," "Centerville," and "The Music Book." Her work has been compared to that of notable authors such as Ian McEwan, Jodi Picoult, and Russell Banks. The New York Times has praised Osborn's writing for its psychological sophistication, while The Washington Post has commended her extraordinary effort to engage with the American condition as it stands today. Alongside her writing, Osborn also teaches fiction writing in Fairfield University’s M.F.A. program.