Philadelphia native, former nun, scholar, author, public speaker, and emeritus professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Based on a true family story and set in Philadelphia during World War II, her debut novel, The Faithful Ones, is inspired by her aunt’s recollections and artifacts and supplemented by extensive research.
Social justice themes emerge in the author’s creative writing. They are also evidenced in her academic writing—published in scholarly books and journals—which explores the representation of sex and gender in literary and visual media texts. She earned a doctorate in English and Women’s Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MA in English at Villanova University and bachelor’s degree in English and Communication Arts from Holy Family University in Philadelphia. At the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL, she founded the Gender Studies program and taught literature, film, and gender studies classes for over three decades and was three times named Distinguished Professor of the year. She is a featured speaker on memoir writing, film, and social justice issues for both campus and community events.
A proponent of student activism throughout her teaching career, she helped organize and advise student groups committed to social justice and equality, including the GSSA (Gay Straight Student Alliance), SASA (Social Action Social Awareness), and the NSU chapter of the AAUW (American Association of University Women). She was awarded the Susan B. Anthony award by the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the National Organization of Women for her feminist activism, and gave a TEDxNSU 2015 talk on Feminism: “An ‘F’ Word Revival in the New Millennium.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLAHAEu_nAU).
The author’s foray into creative writing began with her memoir, “Particular Friendships: A Convent Memoir.” It was named one of the featured books of the year by the Broward County Library’s Literary Feast, 2007, alongside the works of authors John Dickerson, Ishmael Beah, and Adriana Trigiani, among others. At the request of NSU undergraduate students, she delivered her “Last Lecture: Stories and Self-Reflection” the text of which appears in NSU’s Quadrivium. (https://nsuworks.nova.edu/quadrivium/vol1/iss1/10/).
A hiking and nature enthusiast, Kate’s love of the outdoors is matched by an absorbing and well-told novel, a poem—to paraphrase Emily Dickinson—that takes off the top of her head, and a film that transports and leaves her thinking. A longtime resident of Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Kate revels in her metropolitan Philadelphia roots. She is an avid film-buff and a happy practitioner of meditation, Pilates, and yoga.
