Kate Horsley (born 1952) is the pen name of Kate Parker, an American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of numerous works of historical

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

, three of which are rooted in the Old West. Parker is also a professor of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

at Central New Mexico Community College in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. Much of her work has been influenced by Zen after reading material by Alan Watts.

Early life and education

Parker was born in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

in 1952, the youngest of five children. As a teenager, Parker became active in the

Civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

and

anti-Vietnam war Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War (before) or anti-Vietnam War movement (present) began with demonstrations in 1965 against the escalating role of the United States in the Vietnam War and grew into a broad social move ...

activism. While writing her master's thesis, Parker relocated to the Laguna Pueblo to work with writer

Leslie Marmon Silko Leslie Marmon Silko (born Leslie Marmon; born March 5, 1948) is an American writer. A Laguna Pueblo Indian woman, she is one of the key figures in the First Wave of what literary critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance ...

. After completing her degree, she remained in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and earned a PhD in American studies from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

Career

She published a collection of short works entitled "X&O." She won the Kenneth Patchen Award for Innovative Fiction for the novel "Between the Legs," which was published in the fall of 2015. Previously, she won the Western States Arts Award for Fiction and the New Mexico Press Women's Award for Fiction.

Works

*"Crazy Woman" (1992) *A Killing in New Town (1996) *Confessions of a Pagan Nun (2002) *The Changeling of Finnistuath (2003) *Careless Love: Or the Land of Promise (2003) *Black Elk in Paris (2007)

Personal life

Married three times, she had a son by her second husband. Her son was hit by a car and killed on April 9, 2000.

References

1952 births Living people American historical novelists Date of birth missing (living people) {{US-fiction-writer-stub