Karyn Bosnak
Encyclopedia
Karyn Bosnak is an American
author of two published books: Save Karyn
and 20 Times a Lady.
, Illinois
. After briefly attending the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago
in 1996. She currently resides in the Brooklyn
neighborhood of Cobble Hill
.
, a humorous albeit controversial website on which she brazenly asked strangers to help pay it off. The website garnered international media attention and worked; Bosnak paid off her debt in twenty weeks.
In 2003, Bosnak chronicled her struggles with debt in the memoir Save Karyn: One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back
. It was published in the United States by HarperCollins
and is now available in over ten languages around the world.
Bosnak has since donated the same amount of money she received from people to charity.
starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. On September 6, 2011, the book was re-released under the title What's Your Number?.
, USA Today
, The Washington Post
, People
, and Time
.
In 2002, The New York Times Magazine
included Bosnak's "Save Karyn" website in their annual "Year in Ideas" list.
In 2007, VH1
ranked Bosnak as #31 on their list of the "40 Greatest Internet Superstars."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author of two published books: Save Karyn
Save Karyn
Save Karyn is the name of both a Web site and a book. SaveKaryn.com was the first notable "web panhandling" site. Save Karyn: One Shopaholic’s Journey to Debt and Back is the book chronicling the events leading up to and through the height of the site's popularity.The creator of both works is...
and 20 Times a Lady.
Early Life and Career
Karyn Bosnak was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. After briefly attending the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
in 1996. She currently resides in the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
neighborhood of Cobble Hill
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Cobble Hill is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. Bordered by Atlantic Avenue on the north, Hicks Street to the west, Smith Street on the east and Degraw Street to the south, Cobble Hill sits adjacent to Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights with Carroll Gardens to the south...
.
Save Karyn (2003)
After spending much of her early career as a daytime television talk-show producer, Bosnak moved from Chicago to New York in 2000. After quickly running up $20,000 of shopping-induced credit card debt, Bosnak lost her job and found herself unable to pay it back. In June 2002, she started savekaryn.comSave Karyn
Save Karyn is the name of both a Web site and a book. SaveKaryn.com was the first notable "web panhandling" site. Save Karyn: One Shopaholic’s Journey to Debt and Back is the book chronicling the events leading up to and through the height of the site's popularity.The creator of both works is...
, a humorous albeit controversial website on which she brazenly asked strangers to help pay it off. The website garnered international media attention and worked; Bosnak paid off her debt in twenty weeks.
In 2003, Bosnak chronicled her struggles with debt in the memoir Save Karyn: One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back
Save Karyn
Save Karyn is the name of both a Web site and a book. SaveKaryn.com was the first notable "web panhandling" site. Save Karyn: One Shopaholic’s Journey to Debt and Back is the book chronicling the events leading up to and through the height of the site's popularity.The creator of both works is...
. It was published in the United States by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
and is now available in over ten languages around the world.
Bosnak has since donated the same amount of money she received from people to charity.
20 Times a Lady (2006)
With the success of her first book, Bosnak abandoned the television industry altogether and began writing full time. In 2006, her first novel, 20 Times a Lady, was published in the United States by HarperCollins. It served as the basis for the feature film What's Your Number?What's Your Number?
What's Your Number? is a 2011 romantic comedy film starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. It is based on Karyn Bosnak's book 20 Times a Lady. The film was released on , 2011.-Cast:* Anna Faris as Ally Darling* Chris Evans as Colin Shea...
starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. On September 6, 2011, the book was re-released under the title What's Your Number?.
Media
Bosnak has appeared as a guest on numerous radio and television shows including The Today Show and 20/20. Articles about her have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world including The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
In 2002, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
included Bosnak's "Save Karyn" website in their annual "Year in Ideas" list.
In 2007, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
ranked Bosnak as #31 on their list of the "40 Greatest Internet Superstars."