Kathleen Norris

For the contemporary poet and essayist of the same name (b. 1947), see Kathleen Norris (poet).
Kathleen Norris
Norris in 1925, photograph by Arnold Genthe
Norris in 1925, photograph by Arnold Genthe
Born(1880-07-16)July 16, 1880
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 18, 1966(1966-01-18) (aged 85)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • journalist
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley
Spouse
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(m. 1909)​
ParentsJames Alden Thompson
Josephine Moroney

Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 – January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. Norris was a prolific writer who wrote 93 novels, many of which became best sellers. Her stories appeared frequently in the popular press of the day, including The Atlantic, The American Magazine, McClure's, Everybody's, Ladies' Home Journal, and Woman's Home Companion. Norris used her fiction to promote family and moralistic values, such as the sanctity of marriage, the nobility of motherhood, and the importance of service to others.[1]

  1. ^ Gumina, Deanna Paoli (2004). A Woman of Certain Importance: A Biography of Kathleen Norris. Illuminations Press. ISBN 0-937088-28-5.