Karen Latchana Kenney
Karen Latchana Kenney was born near the rainforests of Guyana, but moved far north to Minnesota at a young age. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in English and has been writing and editing since. She has worked as an editor at an educational publishing company, but is now a full-time freelance writer and editor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has written more than 70 books on all kinds of subjects: from arts and crafts to biographies of famous people. Her books have received positive reviews from Booklist, Library Media Connection, and School Library Journal. When she’s not busy writing, she loves biking and hiking with her husband and young son in the many beautiful parks of the state. Visit her online at http://latchanakenney.wordpress.com/.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Madeline L’Engle’s books (all of them) and John Bellairs’ mysteries with their creepy illustrations by Edward Gorey
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one’s self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded.” —Virginia Woolf, A Writer’s Diary
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Virginia Woolf, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., J. K. Rowling, William Butler Yeats, Jack Kerouac . . . too many to rate, but I really like these authors.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I’ve always thought books were magical, and I knew even from a young age that I wanted to be a part of making them. Now I try to share some wonder with children and inspire them to discover more through my writing.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Write about what you love and never ever stop trying.
