Here is a list of where you can find me for an author event, writing workshop or reading.
2024
5 Feb – 11 Mar 2024 | weekly 20:00-21:00 CET | online
Crafting the Lyric Essay | International Writers’ Collective
This six week online writing workshop will help you refine the techniques drawn from poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to create the lyric essay.
2023
31 Aug – 19 Sept | Whidbey Island, Washington
Writing residency at Hedgebrook!
3 May – 21 June | weekly 19:00-21:00 CET | Amsterdam
Level 1 Spring Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Join me for an in-person writing workshop.
23 April | 18:30-20:00 CET | Amsterdam
Student and Faculty Reading | International Writers’ Collective (closed event)
I get to read my flash essay “Taiwan 1969” at this annual International Writers’ Event.
16 April | 16:00-17:30 CET | Amsterdam
Master Class with Lola Shoneyin | International Writers’ Collective
Nigerian author Lola Shoneyin talks about the craft choices behind her award-winning novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.
8-11 Mar | all day and all night | Seattle
AWP Conference & Bookfair
My first AWP conference ever! Panels, readings, and hobnobbing galore. Add to all that a last-minute panelist role on “Native Tongues: Teaching Creative Writing to Multilingual International Students.” How cool is this?
4 Jan – 22 Feb | weekly 19:00-22:00 CET | Amsterdam
Level 1 Winter Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
I teach an in-person writing workshop.
2022
12 Nov | 15:00-17:00 CET | Amsterdam
Dipika Mukherjee book launch | Perdu
The Amsterdam launch of Dipika Mukherjee’s poetry collection, Dialect of Distant Harbors with Mia You and Milla van der Have.
16 Oct | 15:00-17:00 CET | Amsterdam
Master Class with Julie Phillips | International Writers’ Collective
A wide-ranging discussion of The Baby on the Fire Escape, creativity, and how to find the time to make art.
12 Oct | 12:30-14:00 CET | Amsterdam
Lecture | Amsterdam University College (closed event)
For undergraduate creative writing students, I talk about creative nonfiction and my essay “Fish Tales.”
3 Oct – 28 Nov | weekly 18:30-20:30 CET | Amsterdam
Level 1 Autumn Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
An in-person writing workshop.
3 Aug – 7 Sept | weekly at 20:00 CEST | online
Deep Dive into the Lyric Essay | International Writers’ Collective
A six-week online advanced course on the lyric essay.
17 July | 17:30-19:00 CEST | Amsterdam
Master Class with Jenny Offill | International Writers’ Collective
On fragmentary writing and the use of humor by the author of Dept of Speculation and Weather.
3 and 10 July | 10:00-13:00 CEST | Amsterdam
Intro to Lyric Essay | International Writers’ Collective
An in-person workshop in two half-day sessions on the lyric essay.
12 – 18 June | Kenyon College
Kenyon Review Writers Workshop
A week-long generative writing workshop on creative nonfiction taught by Dinty W. Moore.
11 May – 6 July | weekly at 20:00 CET | online
Level 1 Spring Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
An 8-week Level 1 core writing workshop.
12 January – 9 March | weekly at 20:00 CET | online
Level 1 Winter Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
An 8-week Level 1 core writing workshop.
2021
29 September – 24 November | weekly at 20:00 CET | online
Level 1 Autumn Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
An 8-week online Level 1 core writing workshop.
11 August – 1 Sept | 20:00 CET | online
Lyric Essay Course | International Writers’ Collective
Karen will teach a special 4-week course on the lyric essay.
11 July | 15:00 CET | online
Master Class with Jing-Jing Lee | International Writers’ Collective
On the messy process called writing with Jing-Jing Lee, author of the award-winning novel When We Disappeared, the novella If I Could Tell You and the poetry collection And Other Rivers.
16 May | 20:00 CET | online
Reading | Hill Street Women Artists Salon
An online event with women artists from around the world.
31 March | 12:00 CST | online
Stop AAPI Hate Vigil | Democrats Abroad Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus
A vigil to mark the Atlanta shooting of 6 Asian women.
28 February | 15:00 CST | online
Book club | Democrats Abroad Saxony & Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus
Thank you, book lovers, for inviting me to speak about my debut novel, The Dancing Girl and the Turtle.
27 January – 24 March | 20:00 CET | online
Level 1 Winter Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Karen will teach an 8-week Level 1 core writing workshop.
1 February – 22 March | 20:00 CET | online
Level 1 Winter Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Here’s another 8-week Level 1 core writing workshop, this time on Monday.
2020
7 October – 2 December | 18:30-19:30 CST | online
Level 1 Autumn Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Karen teaches an eight week online Level 1 core writing workshop.
8 July – 26 August | 18:30-19:30 CST | online
Level 1 Summer Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Karen teaches an eight week online Level 1 core writing workshop.
22 April – 10 June | 18:30-19:30 CST | online
Level 1 Spring Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Karen teaches an eight week online Level 1 core writing workshop.
1 Sept 2019 – 19 Mar 2020 | Hiatus
Traveling around the world!
2019
1 Sept 2019 – 19 Mar 2020 | Hiatus
Traveling around the world!
29 July | 16:00 CET | Amsterdam
Master Class with Caoilinn Hughes | International Writers’ Collective
On what to do when you get stuck, choosing the right form, and designing the unlikable female protagonist.
9 July – 13 Aug | 18:30-20:30 CET | Amsterdam
Level 1 Summer Workshop | International Writers’ Collective
Karen teaches a 6-week Level 1 core writing workshop.
17 June | 13:00 CET | Amsterdam
Day of Writing and Publishing | Expanded Field Journal
A panel on the writing process, how to make money off of writing, and more.
24 April | 19:00 CST | The Hague
Me, Asian?!!! | Hidden Histories | Leiden University College
A panel with fellow Asian writers: Naema Tahir, Huan Hsu, and Gustaaf Peek, moderated by Ajay Gandhi.
14 April | 18:00 CST | Amsterdam
mass: formulae | VERSO
I curate this evening event for VERSO, the live literary journal based here in Amsterdam. Here’s the editorial I wrote / performed Mass: Formulae.
2018
31 Oct | 10:00 CST | Amsterdam
Lecture | Amsterdam University College (closed event)
Talking to creative writing undergraduates about how to extract fiction from real life and a 500 word piece of flash fiction can take five years to write.
18 Oct | 14:00 CET | Amsterdam (closed event)
Journal writing workshop | American Women’s Club of Amsterdam
22 July | 16:00 CET | Amsterdam
Master class | International Writers’ Collective
About the inspiration for my debut novel, The Dancing Girl and the Turtle, how to handle violence in fiction, and historical research. Read my take on that afternoon session or listen to the master class.
3 July | Online
Not Just Hemingway podcast
In this recorded event, Dieuwke van Turenhout and I speak about the short story, “Afternoon at the Bakery” by Yoko Ogawa from her collection Revenge. Listen to our conversation via SoundCloud.
25 Feb | 14:30 CST | Amsterdam
Another afternoon of readings | Pages Bookstore
An author event for the Amsterdam writing community. I read from my essay Memory Palace
2017
For events related to the launch of my debut novel, The Dancing Girl and the Turtle, check here.