Episode 101: Author Karen Winn on secret societies and sophomore novels

We’re back after a few weeks off! On episode 101 of Literary Prospects, we talk with Author Karen Winn about her addictive new novel, The Society.

Karen is the author of two novels, Our Little World and, most recently, The Society. Her short stories and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Ploughshares, Hippocampus, Lit Hub, Writer’s Digest and elsewhere. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Karen earned her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. For her undergraduate studies she attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she may or may not have belonged to a secret society. Before becoming an author, Karen had a career as a nurse and nurse practitioner. She lives in the charming Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston with her husband, two children, and their 100-pound Bernedoodle.

In this interview, Karen talks about the sordid Boston history that inspired her new book; the secret society she, herself, may or may not have been a part of (wink, wink); balancing nursing and writing careers; the challenges of selling a novel before it’s written; and much more…