author
Kate Field
1838–1896
A bold 19th-century journalist, lecturer, and editor, she built a public career at a time when few women had that freedom. Her life moved between the stage, the press, and the lecture platform, giving her work an unusual energy and range.
1 Audiobook
The Drama of Glass
by Kate Field
About the author
Born Mary Katherine Keemle Field in St. Louis on October 1, 1838, she became known as Kate Field and went on to make her name as a journalist, correspondent, editor, lecturer, and actress. She came from a theatrical family, and that early connection to the stage seems to have shaped the confidence and vivid public style that later made her stand out.
Field spent important periods in Europe and wrote for major American newspapers, building a reputation as an independent voice with wide interests. She later founded and edited Kate Field's Washington, a weekly publication that reflected her interest in politics, culture, and public affairs. Contemporary accounts describe her as widely known in her day, admired for her wit, strong opinions, and unusual career.
She died in Honolulu on May 19, 1896. Although she is less familiar to many readers now than she was in her own lifetime, she remains an appealing figure for modern audiences: ambitious, outspoken, and determined to make a place for herself in public life.