Karal Ann Marling (born November 5, 1943) is an American cultural historian and writer.
[1] A professor emerita of the University of Minnesota, she is an American studies scholar with a special focus on the visual arts.
The New York Times described her as a "keen-eyed critic of American popular culture.
"[2] One book reviewer described her as a stylistic and intellectual heir to both Erma Bombeck and Tom Wolfe.
[3] Originally from the East Coast, she earned a Ph.D. at Bryn Mawr College before she came to Minnesota in 1977 to teach.