I’m Kari, a middle school librarian in my hometown of Nashville, TN, where I returned after nine years living in New York City. I dragged with me my New York-born-and-raised husband (also a public school educator); in December 2017, we welcomed our first daughter into the world, and in October 2020, our second.

They say your job shouldn’t define your identity, but I can’t separate the two. My profession is truly my calling; I’ve worked with books, literacy, and education for my entire career – beginning at the public library when I was 17, to a children’s publisher in NYC post-college, to my current job in public schools. I advocate equal and equitable access to information, and I believe in the power of stories to bring a greater sense of compassion and commonality to the human experience.

When I’m not at work, I’m seeking new adventures and experiences, near or far. I believe travel is the best way to see and learn firsthand the beauty and stories of our world and of the people living in it. I love digging into the history of a place and finding its gems, whether hidden or in plain sight. Through my writing and photographs, I aim to share a deeper experience and connection with a place than what can be found on the surface.