A writer of short fiction, children's stories and two
novels, within ten years of her first publication Kate Chopin was
famous enough to be listed in the 1901 edition of Who's Who in
America. Her reputation, which sprang from an intense period of
publication between 1889 and her death in 1904, was based on her
regional stories. Born in St Louis, Missouri, of Irish-American and
French descent, she spent her early years within the security of a
wealthy, slave-owning family until the American Civil War (1861-5)
destroyed the old social order. Their family …
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Citation: Scullion, Val. "Kate Chopin". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 October 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=868, accessed 20 June 2025.]
