author
Kate Field
1838–1896
A bold 19th-century voice in American journalism, she built a career as a correspondent, editor, lecturer, and performer at a time when few women had that freedom. Her life carried her from St. Louis and Boston to Europe, Washington, and finally Hawaii, where she died in 1896.
1 Audiobook
The Drama of Glass
by Kate Field
About the author
Born Mary Katherine Keemle Field in St. Louis in 1838, Kate Field came from a theatrical family and grew into one of the most visible women writers of her era. She became known not only as a journalist, but also as a lecturer, editor, and actress, with a public style that many contemporaries found lively and unconventional.
Field spent significant time in Europe and worked as a correspondent for major American newspapers. She later founded and edited Kate Field's Washington, a weekly publication that reflected her strong opinions and wide-ranging interests in politics, culture, reform, and public life.
Remembered as an energetic and pioneering freelance writer, she stood out for making a public career on her own terms in the 19th century. She died in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 19, 1896, leaving behind a reputation for independence, wit, and restless curiosity.