https://www.karenauvinen.com/roughbeauty daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/948d441e-56d9-468d-bb39-6c7b37a9807d/rough+Beauty+pb+rev+LR.jpg https://www.karenauvinen.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-08-26 https://www.karenauvinen.com/about daily 0.75 2025-12-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/d3a6bc71-53a0-4ecf-a699-6e59dd635175/Auvinen_Karen-8x10-8066.jpg about - About Karen Karen Auvinen is an award-winning poet, mountain woman, life-long westerner, writer, educator, speaker, and the author of the memoir Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living (Scribner). Her work has appeared in The New York Times, LitHub, Real Simple, Westword, and The Rumpus, as well as numerous literary journals. A collection of short stories is forthcoming. She is working on a novel. Karen is the founder of Writing Wild Workshops and is on the Graduate Faculty in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University and also teaches writing workshops at Lighthouse Writers Workshop and for Fishtrap Writing the West in addition to teaching film, pop culture, and storytelling to first-years at the CU – Boulder. She is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Nederland, CO. Karen lives in the Colorado mountains with the artist Greg Marquez, their dog Yuki. Follow Karen on Instagram and on Facebook. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/d3a6bc71-53a0-4ecf-a699-6e59dd635175/Auvinen_Karen-8x10-8066.jpg about - About Karen Karen Auvinen is an award-winning poet, mountain woman, life-long westerner, writer, educator, speaker, and the author of the memoir Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living (Scribner). Her work has appeared in The New York Times, LitHub, Real Simple, Westword, and The Rumpus, as well as numerous literary journals. A collection of short stories is forthcoming. She is working on a novel. Karen is the founder of Writing Wild Workshops and is on the Graduate Faculty in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University and also teaches writing workshops at Lighthouse Writers Workshop and for Fishtrap Writing the West in addition to teaching film, pop culture, and storytelling to first-years at the CU – Boulder. She is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Nederland, CO. Karen lives in the Colorado mountains with the artist Greg Marquez, their dog Yuki. Follow Karen on Instagram and on Facebook. https://www.karenauvinen.com/home daily 1.0 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1626214475171-O6JLRH9HJIQUBDWA4KK7/Writing%2BWild%2BJuly.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1557070842144-ZX4QG7PPNQE67EAMV12I/foxstairs.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1556917622494-DEQRRIWZL2JDCJQMNN0L/Rough-Beauty-2+%28003Instagram+Final+3+2+ratio.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/59f5dec7-f433-405d-bd96-00d314d3b308/fox+on+steps+%282%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/d3a6bc71-53a0-4ecf-a699-6e59dd635175/Auvinen_Karen-8x10-8066.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1626214475171-O6JLRH9HJIQUBDWA4KK7/Writing%2BWild%2BJuly.jpg home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1557070842144-ZX4QG7PPNQE67EAMV12I/foxstairs.jpg home - Make it stand out The Fox Who Came to Dinner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1556917622494-DEQRRIWZL2JDCJQMNN0L/Rough-Beauty-2+%28003Instagram+Final+3+2+ratio.png home - Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living “A Gorgeous Meditation on Solitude and Connection.” This critically-acclaimed memoir chronicles Karen’s forty seasons of “living wild” in the Colorado Rockies and the shifting landscapes of being alone. It traces Karen’s retreat into wildness to learn what it means “to live deeply, becoming intimate with rocks and stars.” Purchase a personalized, signed 1st Edition here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/59f5dec7-f433-405d-bd96-00d314d3b308/fox+on+steps+%282%29.jpg home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/d3a6bc71-53a0-4ecf-a699-6e59dd635175/Auvinen_Karen-8x10-8066.jpg home - Write Intuitively, Write Well, Write Wild. I have 30 years of teaching experience in the craft of creative writing. I also coach, do public Consultation + Coaching I offer one-time or on-going consultations on literary fiction or creative nonfiction manuscripts. Fees vary depending on author need and project. II also provide monthly coaching. Inquire here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954582294-ATGHT5E2SS5QUUR0SWNS/bw+%234+Marquez+Mountain+View.jpeg home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954576549-0XSD62TJ1W7X82XM5B5M/bw+%236+Marquez+fox+on+steps.jpg home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954578389-I2PK47ZTZ1PRAFWY3XES/bw+%238+Marquez+elvis+in+snow.jpg home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954591237-VVHYRJ8GD89WSNXY4ODJ/bw+%2311+Marquez+bear.jpg home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954593511-HI5KKKYY8A91FVBZEVU3/bw+hat+Marquez+%2312.jpg home https://www.karenauvinen.com/our-impact-impact daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://www.karenauvinen.com/get-involved-impact daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://www.karenauvinen.com/mission-text-impact daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1509982426921-H8N1MHM8P0PC9NE5WPP3/image-asset.jpeg Mission "Sed dictum ante a leo cursus mattis. Integer euismod, lorem sed molestie gravida, justo mauris dignissim orci, sed convallis elit ipsum at justo. Donec feugiat justo vitae mollis pretium. Suspendisse ultrices, tellus vitae varius convallis, ipsum justo commodo dui, a feugiat mauris turpis ut turpis." — Donovan Mafnas, Impact Volunteer https://www.karenauvinen.com/volunteer-text-impact daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://www.karenauvinen.com/volunteer-banner-impact daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1509983042007-RTMWNU37BD3WV9M6HT4B/_50A4130.jpg Volunteer https://www.karenauvinen.com/poet-laureate-of-nederland daily 0.75 2026-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/cc8ad1c3-6350-4725-a8ea-9aea5ae90edd/Poet+Laureate.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/528fde14-4779-4cb7-a6cd-342aecdddd98/Language+of+Land.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/3b7bc09d-7321-4e79-8bc9-edfbdb8a87f4/Poetry+Celebration.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/cc8ad1c3-6350-4725-a8ea-9aea5ae90edd/Poet+Laureate.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/528fde14-4779-4cb7-a6cd-342aecdddd98/Language+of+Land.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/3b7bc09d-7321-4e79-8bc9-edfbdb8a87f4/Poetry+Celebration.jpg Poet Laureate of Nederland - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.karenauvinen.com/produce daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550416445959-MJDBSJ1GFZSI3R5KKPRZ/1062434_1_052518-rough-beauty_standard.png Produce - Beet (Copy) Beet Sed imperdiet metus bibendum mauris feugiat, sit amet eleifend arcu lacinia. Mauris at turpis purus. Cras dignissim molestie aliquam. In placerat ornare libero, vel scelerisque purus aliquet nec. Suspendisse in enim fermentum, finibus ante quis, ultrices felis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c74ea37da24fa01dabb974/1456161139818-BALCLXRPI0D8MZXPX9DR/cucumber-on-green.jpg Produce - Cucumber (Copy) Cucumber Vestibulum volutpat felis sed aliquet auctor. Aliquam semper quam eget risus finibus porta. Curabitur augue sem, accumsan sed finibus at, mattis non tellus. Aenean mattis enim vitae ex pharetra iaculis. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c74ea37da24fa01dabb974/1455922349967-GENNJWVK3V81Y20YBH4S/lemon-on-blue.jpg Produce - Lemon (Copy) Lemon Phasellus eget purus facilisis neque accumsan scelerisque nec a dui. Curabitur pharetra, ante ac convallis tincidunt, nisi odio pretium elit, et accumsan arcu elit vel elit. Proin ut massa tempus, ornare massa a, varius felis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c74ea37da24fa01dabb974/1455924496039-5407ZU9A1N7VQZB1GDHU/carrot-on-pink.jpg Produce - Carrot (Copy) Carrot Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Pellentesque placerat quam in neque imperdiet, vitae consequat elit accumsan. Nulla et vulputate elit, id gravida metus. Vivamus luctus et quam vitae commodo. In efficitur turpis erat, non tempor erat mattis id. Donec suscipit semper neque, ut iaculis augue porttitor et. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c74ea37da24fa01dabb974/1456162339500-RX559Y5DH26T49QZRIMW/cabbage-on-yellow.jpg Produce - Cabbage (Copy) Cabbage Morbi mattis tincidunt turpis, ut dictum nisi euismod at. Donec porttitor facilisis erat eu eleifend. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. https://www.karenauvinen.com/our-team-impact daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1509981983687-PMYSPWW0U97LAXF4CMGC/_50A4610.jpg Our Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1508275148421-TWP6TJBAX4ZO1TQX7KZA/Untitled-7.jpg Our Team - Our Team (Copy) Our Team Here is a description of your team. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce mattis turpis vel ex semper. Join Our Team https://www.karenauvinen.com/donate-index-impact daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://www.karenauvinen.com/praise-for-rough-beauty daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550495673833-6O7MRF1QMVHOFFGPTI1V/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “10 Best Books of June!” -Christian Science Monitor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550496947261-WO6O8THL13JC4AOR6LAF/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “A narrative that reads like a captivating novel… Hers is a voice not found often enough in literature - a woman who eschews the prescribed role outlined for her by her family and discovers her own path.” -Joan Gaylord, Christian Science Monitor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550497337298-KVIQ5FZAOPYE1YJR2ZTR/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “ROUGH BEAUTY indeed. The passages about fire knocked my hat off. Terrifying yet lovely. Karen Auvinen is an American maverick. Vital, wild and true.” -Luis Alberto Urrea, Author of The House of Broken Angels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550497607007-IZYNOPA5O717ZO3J8T45/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “This beautiful and elemental book is an invitation into a life of nature and ritual. There are many books about seasons in the wilderness but this is one about a life in it. Rough Beauty has the power to change lives. It stands as an antidote to the hurried way we rush through our days.” - David Gessner, New York Times Bestselling author of All That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner and the American West https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550498721918-E1IWXC4NQ6THCJY41SOX/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “Outstanding… The author has served a long apprenticeship - sensing life’s patterns, becoming embedded in a human community, learning to give and receive love - and the result is a beautiful story of resilience perfect for readers of Terry Tempest Williams.” -Kirkus, starred review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550498919664-V5AJ8YJ2CY5BOTBHG4Q8/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “Beautiful, contemplative… This breathtaking memoir honors the wildness of the Rockies.” - Publishers Weekly, starred review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550499220925-AQY3FFX76RM6C6BBHMWU/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “An essential purchase!” - Library Journal, starred review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1550499466104-FBORIQWYLV7WL5F47ZLW/Rough_Beauty_rev+1+LR.jpg Praise For Rough Beauty “Karen Auvinen has the heart of a poet and pioneer grit, and Rough Beauty is a wrenchingly evocative memoir. It is a story of loss, but it is also a story of transformation, of finding shards of hope among the ashes and moving forward with gratitude and grace and courage.” - James Campbell, author of Braving It and The Final Frontiersman https://www.karenauvinen.com/our-partners-impact daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1508275125376-JS5UW5HKEMC9UK5ZOE9H/Untitled-7.jpg Our Partners - Our Partners (Copy) Our Partners Here is a description of your partners. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce mattis turpis vel ex semper. Learn More https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59dbc7c2cf81e0c47e15482d/1509981902118-7K1NOP01KFVFY35TCB4K/_50A4590.jpg Our Partners https://www.karenauvinen.com/order-rough-beauty daily 0.75 2023-08-26 https://www.karenauvinen.com/order-rough-beauty/p/signed-1st-edition-of-rough-beauty monthly 0.5 2024-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1617031658941-Q9FVVOO0C1XTTM48I6JV/Rough+Beauty+June+2018+022.JPG signed 1st edition - Signed 1st Edition of Rough Beauty https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops daily 0.75 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1626214475171-O6JLRH9HJIQUBDWA4KK7/Writing%2BWild%2BJuly.jpg Workshops - 2026 Writing Wild Workshops Rollinsville, CO Workshops exploring the landscapes of the body and the earth. Writing Wild Workshops are season-based generative workshops exploring our wild, physical selves in all the landscapes we inhabit. Participants drop into their senses and write to and from this place in a series of exercises meant to inspire and get their creative juices going. Open to beginners and seasoned writers as well as the writing curious. Plan for camaraderie, craft talk, nature walking, discussion, and plenty of writing. Space Limited to 8 participants. #writingwildworkshops Writing Wild: Writing the Language of Land Sunday, June 7th 10-3:30 With summer coming into bloom, we’ll take our cue from the abundance of wildflowers and birds, seasonal thundershowers and flourishing gardens to learn how to listen to the more-than-human world. Become an animal in landscape or a cloud blown on the wind, spend time inspecting the woodpecker-tattered bark of an aspen or examining the tendrils offered by moss to learn to engage your senses to and fill your inspirational cup. Join me for this immersive workshop to explore your wild senses and dive into writing. Writing Wild: Ritual Sunday October 4th 10-3:30 As we prepare to enter enter fall, this daylong workshop focuses on not only helping your understand your own writing rituals (best times + places for inspiration, how to keep coming back to writing over and over) in order to help you feed your creative self, but also on inspiring some new ones. Plus, we’ll take a deep dive in the mystery with an intuitive inspiration hike and using tarot cards to help us access images, stories, poems swimming in our subconscious bodies. FULL DAY WORKSHOPS - $150 OR $125 When You Register with a friend. Includes Lunch + Snack provided by Karen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1773236297274-G8Q7865IF99IML8WS7JR/unsplash-image-wQImoykAwGs.jpg Workshops - Workshop Details Workshops are on site at my house and in the Roosevelt National Forest. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sitting pad, notebook, and water. 9:30-10:00 Arrive 10-10-12:30 Meet, Forest Walk, craft talk, generative writing (tea provided). 12:30 -1:00: Lunch 1:00-2:00: Afternoon Writing session#1 200-2:15 Break - snack provided by Karen 2:15 - 3:00: Afternoon Writing session #2 3:00-3:15: Closing Reflective Writing 3:15-3:30: Open Circle and Sharing For more information or to get on the mailing list, Contact Karen: Info@karenauvinen.comWhatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops/zoom-classes monthly 0.5 2026-05-14 https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops/p/september-24-2023-writing-wild-workshop-33sjw-dmcn9 monthly 0.5 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954591237-VVHYRJ8GD89WSNXY4ODJ/bw+%2311+Marquez+bear.jpg Workshops - 2026 Writing Wild: Ritual - Sunday October 4th - 10-3:30pm https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops/p/september-24-2023-writing-wild-workshop-33sjw-dmcn9-yy2rh monthly 0.5 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954582294-ATGHT5E2SS5QUUR0SWNS/bw+%234+Marquez+Mountain+View.jpeg Workshops - 2026 Writing Wild: Writing the Language of Land - Sunday June 7th - 10-3:30pm - bw #4 Marquez Mountain View.jpeg https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops/p/september-24-2023-writing-wild-workshop-33sjw-dmcn9-yy2rh-bncdz monthly 0.5 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954582294-ATGHT5E2SS5QUUR0SWNS/bw+%234+Marquez+Mountain+View.jpeg Workshops - Friend Special: 2026 Writing Wild: Writing the Language of Land - Sunday June 7th - 10-3:30pm - bw #4 Marquez Mountain View.jpeg (Copy) https://www.karenauvinen.com/karen-auvinen-workshops/p/september-24-2023-writing-wild-workshop-33sjw-dmcn9-2wszb monthly 0.5 2026-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c69737901232c5acf40138a/1691954591237-VVHYRJ8GD89WSNXY4ODJ/bw+%2311+Marquez+bear.jpg Workshops - Friend Special: 2026 Writing Wild: Ritual - Sunday October 4th - 10-3:30pm