Neal Karlen

Neal Karlen is a journalist and biographer whose long reporting relationship with Prince gave him unusual access to the musician's private voice. He interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories and remained in contact with him for decades after ending formal coverage. This Thing Called Life draws on those interviews, archival conversations, and their shared knowledge of Minneapolis. Published by St. Martin's Press in 2020, the book places Prince's career beside his family history, friendships, habits, and attachment to his home city. Karlen writes as both a reporter and a participant who knew when their conversations occurred, while distinguishing remembered encounters from the recordings that support the account.