About the Author

Multicultural by birth, association, and choice, Karima Vargas Bushnell (M.A. Intercultural Relations) has described herself as “a short, part-Hispanic, Irish-fiddle-playing, Jewish-wisecracking, partly-Black-acculturated Sufi Muslim”. Family lore and some research indicate that her father’s grandfather was Paiute Native American. Though life has taken her north and east, much of her heart remains in the deserts and mountains of the Southwest.

Karima’s primary interest is in borders: not physical, but spiritual, mental, and emotional ones, the liminal spaces between worldviews where reality is negotiable. Her books occupy the borders of metafiction, literary fiction, and science fiction and illuminate the borders between her characters’

radically different cultures and worldviews. Her protagonist Halycon Sage, a mysterious author whose prototype she met many years after inventing him,* is a border crosser par excellence.

At 16, Karima sang “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honkytonk Angels” for a radio commercial in Reno, and she is probably the only future Muslim (twenty years on) to ever sell beer and hotdogs at the Santa Cruz Auto Races.

Her workshops, classes, and musical events have bridged many religions and cultures. Job titles have ranged from Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Communication to County Court Reporter to Strawberry Picker.

Karima’s awards are similarly varied. The Book of Squidly Light was an American Library Association / Booklist Magazine pick for May of 2020, while her play, Voices on the Waves, was once runner-up in Mixed Blood Theatre’s “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Dramas” comedy contest. Her writings have humor, character, high stakes, and informal sociology, but also a taste of the Unseen, which makes it all worthwhile.

*This encounter is described in Sage’s Multiverse Mini-Series.

More About Karima

INTERCULTURAL CLIENT LIST
Minnesota Department of Employee Relations (DOER), the National Science Foundation, HealthPartners, Antioch University, Hamline University, Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC), Minnesota Humanities Commission, Center for Cross-Cultural Health, Minnesota Diversified Industries, Open U., American Association of University Women, Minnesota Catholic Education Association, MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC), Cities at Work, Macalester College, St. Paul Area Council of Churches, Catholic Charities Volunteer Corps, Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits (MAP), and Minneapolis and St. Paul Public Schools. Has taught courses at three public or private universities.

PUBLICATION, SPEAKING AND PERFORMANCE CREDITS
“Mysticism and Practice in World Religions,” 3rd Annual Religion, Conflict and Peace Conference, Common Bond Institute, Spring 2011
“Mysticism and Practice in World Religions,” Tuesdays with a Scholar series, Hennepin County Library, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, February 2008
Talks on Islam, Sufism, world religions and cultural issues for Unity, Unitarian, Methodist and independent churches and for organizations including Murray Hill Catholic School and the American Association of University Women, 1995 – 2014.
Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication across Cultures, Supplemental Author, for Pierson Education, Inc., Spring 2009
Cultural Detective: Islam, Co-author, for Nipporica Associates, Fall 2006
Voices on the Waves: A Multicultural Comedy-Drama in Two Acts, MuslimWakeup! online magazine. Performed or workshopped at “Celebrating Interfaith Peace Work Around the World”, Duluth, November 2007 and SIETAR intercultural conferences 2004 and 2005
“Eyes” MuslimWakeup! August 2004
“Belief and Disbelief”, MuslimWakeup! and Naseeb.vibes online magazines, July 2004
“Culture Clash Dialogues” exercise, Training and Performance Source Book 2003, American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
Keys to the Global Village: Unlocking Intercultural Relations (training manual and film script), University of St. Thomas, April 2000
“Medical Interactions: Immigrants, Refugees, Interpreters and Health Care Professionals” Cross Winds, three-part series, August 1999 – Spring 2000
“Communicating Across Cultures”, with Emmanuel Fru Doh, Ph.D., MCDC News: Sharing Diversity, 1998
“Minneapolis Medical Professionals and Female Circumcision: Intercultural Issues,” Cross Winds, three-part series, Summer 1998 – Winter 1999
“Arabic Corner,” “The Sheikh: The Human Fulfillment of the Quest,” and “The People of Nearness,” Qalbi quarterly, Winter 1997, Summer 1996 and Fall 1995.

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
2009 to Present – Content Expert, Minnesota Center for Professional Development
2000-2001 – Student of Color Ally Award, Multicultural Student Services, University of St. Thomas
1999 – Runner-up, “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Dramas” comedy contest for multicultural comedy-drama Voices on the Waves, Mixed Blood Theatre, Minneapolis

RECORDING CREDIT
Lovesongs, Chants and Sufi Blues, CD, John and Karima and friends. Co-wrote and performed music and words drawn from the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist traditions.

Mini-Novel Authors

Wade Garnett

Wade Garnett, like Halycon Sage himself, roams the Southwest on an actual horse, lives close to the land, and does western-type stuff. But like most of us in these confusing, post-modern times, he is not entirely consistent, as his beautiful white stallion is named Aktolgali after the horse in the Turkish drama Dirillis Ertugrul, which he watched on Netflix. Mr. Garnett has a deep feeling for animals, as can been seen in this, his first novel. He may be one of the few vegetarians riding the rodeo circuit.

Baraboo Bartholomew, Fur Trapper with a Heart

Deandra Hollendaise

We’ve certainly heard a lot from Deandra Hollandaise lately! (Possibly too much.) Deandra is self-described in her novel Clawdia Fanghorn Book I as “beautiful Deandra Hollendaise tossing back her ~~red~~, ~~black~~, ~~ebony~~, crimson sea of long curling locks which curled like the sea.” Her locks are also “silken.” Her hand, her form, and everything else about her, are repeatedly described as “delicate”.

Clawdia Fanghorn and the Alligator King, I, II & III
The Pizza Pie’s Wife

Felicity Hagadorn

Felicity Hagedorn is, by her own admission, supremely unnoticeable. Fiftyish, rather thin with fading brown-gray hair, there is nothing about her to draw your attention. All the better to observe and capture you (and everything else) in her insightful novels! Her inside knowledge would place her in Dry Creek Gulch, but none of our contacts there remember ever seeing her—unlike Ms. Hollendaise, who can be hard to avoid. Her powers of observation and psychological insight are something beyond the ordinary. We hope to hear more from Ms. Hagedorn!

The Snove
What’s In A Name?

Gabriel Redborne

From early childhood, Gabriel Redborne wanted to be a lawyer. Or a vet. Unfortunately, he couldn’t decide which, and this problem persisted into adulthood. A passionate idealist, he flunked out of law school through his intense involvement with rescue animals. And while he loved caring for animals, he couldn’t bear the thought of “putting them to sleep,” or even giving them shots. These agonizing dilemas were captured in his longstanding diary, the basis for the character of Edwin Puppy.

Puppy For the Defense! Or, the Prosecution…

Lydia Larchwood

We don’t know much about Lydia Larchwood. She tells us her life has been relatively isolated and that her friends have been the thousands of books and two cats with which she shares a strange old house. She probably lives in Dry Creek Gulch—they all do, don’t they?— but even that is not certain. The only thing we know for sure: Lydia Larchwood is 12 years old.

Pat the Cat
The Girl With the Funny Name
Monday, Will You Marry Me?