I use Wife of Bath because she was my first literary heroine, one who had the ring of truth and courage about her and a blue-bloodless background.  I happened to read the prologue and tale again about 21 years ago and have been writing an adapted screenplay for it since then, completing other projects in-between in order to try to build up to writing the one that means the most to me.  I just do it for fun, with no expectations of marketing.

But I sign off "Karen in Austin" because I don't want to seem to be claiming to be British; it was a tribute thing rather than an expression of who I am.  I have no idea if I'm the same online and off, but I do sound a little sweeter on the phone with strangers than I sound normally in person.  ??

I hope 2008 is kind to us all, and if it can't be kind then it at least should be interesting (duck and cover, y'all.)

Karen in Austin

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher