Karen Paul is a writer in Takoma Park, MD, and the principal of Catalyzing Philanthropy, a fundraising and development consultancy. She has had essays and short stories published, including in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Lilith Magazine, San Antonio Review, Modern Loss, Motherwell, Red Wheelbarrow, Seltzer, and the two-volume pandemic collection, When We Turned Within. Karen is currently a student in the low-residency MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.