Kara M. Pekar (she, her) has been indexing for over twenty-five years, and is an active member of the American Society for Indexing, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.
A graduate of Oberlin College, Kara studied Spanish before changing her major to theater; the school’s broad liberal-arts approach allowed her to simultaneously explore interests in history, English, and the sciences. After college, she worked first as a bookseller and bookstore manager, then as an English and drama teacher, before entering the field of indexing in 1996.
Kara’s interests are wide and varied, an asset to her work as an indexer. She homeschooled her child for middle and high school, designing both the English and history course curricula, for which she drew upon on a lifelong love of both subjects. Kara studied voice for much of her adult life, singing British, Welsh, and American folk music; classical pieces; and Broadway show tunes. She also directed several community choruses for children and teens. Her theater background includes acting in and directing both plays and musical theater, as well as courses in costume construction and design. In her spare time, she is an avid reader, knitter, and spinner. Innately curious, Kara enjoys learning about history; science, medicine, and nature; the performing and visual arts; and interesting people through books, lectures, and documentaries.
Kara’s indexes are designed with one primary goal: to enable readers and researchers to easily locate and return to key information and concepts in the book.