Kelly Besecke

Kelly Besecke is a writer and editor in Austin, Texas. Formerly a professor of sociology at Colorado College and Kenyon College, she graduated from Carleton College and received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research has been honored with a Louisville Institute fellowship and an award from the American Sociological Association's Section on Sociology of Religion.

Her first book, You Can't Put God in a Box, came from the marriage of her professional training in sociology and her personal interest in spiritual meaning. On a road trip during graduate school, she heard the audio tapes of The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers's classic interview series with Joseph Campbell. Campbell's use of secular scholarship to draw rich meaning out of religion inspired her to learn more about how people combine reason and spiritual meaning. You Can't Put God in a Box is about and for educated spiritual seekers who are finding ways of relating to religion that fit in the intersection between "what's inspiring" and "what makes sense."

Kelly has changed careers once and moved across the country three times since beginning the research for You Can't Put God in a Box, but she's stayed interested in progressive religion and spirituality. She's also fascinated by the creative process and the lives of musicians, artists, writers, and other people working in creative fields. She loves living in Austin, where she gets to indulge both these interests, as well as her love of dogs, swimming holes, kayaking, great vegetarian food, and the sun.

Learn more and connect with Kelly at http://www.kellybesecke.com.