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 Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', ''

The American Magazine ''The American Magazine'' was a periodical publication founded in June 1906, a continuation of failed publications purchased a few years earlier from publishing mogul Miriam Leslie. It succeeded ''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' (1876–1904), ' ...

'', ''

McClure's ''McClure's'' or ''McClure's Magazine'' (1893–1929) was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with having started the tradition of muckraking journalism ( investigative, wa ...

'', '' Everybody's'', '' Ladies' Home Journal'', and ''

Woman's Home Companion ''Woman's Home Companion'' was an American monthly magazine, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s. The magazine, headquartered in Springfield, O ...

''. 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.

Life and career

Kathleen Thompson Norris was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, California, on July 16, 1880. Her parents were Josephine (née Moroney) and James Alden Thompson. When she was 19 both her parents died. As the oldest sibling she became effectively the head of a large family and had to work. Initially, she found employment in a department store, which was soon followed by work in an accounting office and then the Mechanic's Institute Library. In 1905, she enrolled in a creative writing program at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

and began writing short stories. The ''

San Francisco Call ''The San Francisco Call'' was a newspaper that served San Francisco, California. Because of a succession of mergers with other newspapers, the paper variously came to be called ''The San Francisco Call & Post'', the ''San Francisco Call-Bulletin ...

'', which had published a few of her stories, hired her to write a society column in September 1906. In the course of that work she met Charles Gilman Norris (whose late elder brother was the novelist

Frank Norris Benjamin Franklin Norris Jr. (March 5, 1870 – October 25, 1902) was an American journalist and novelist during the Progressive Era, whose fiction was predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include '' McTeague: A Story of San ...

), and they soon fell in love. He moved to New York to be art editor of ''

''. After eight months of daily correspondence and some improvements in her family's financial situation, she joined him there and they were married in April 1909. She resumed writing short stories, which began to appear in newspapers and then magazines starting in 1910. Charles took on a lifelong role as Kathleen's literary agent, and also took care of many household management roles as she became increasingly successful as a writer. Shortly after becoming a new mother, she wrote her first novel, ''Mother''. It started as a short story in ''The American Magazine'' in 1911. A publisher asked her to expand it into a novelette, which became a national sensation and earned the praise of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

for its celebration of large families. A devout

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, she wrote the book in part as a commentary against birth control, which was rapidly influencing women's attitudes about motherhood. Her 1914 novel ''Saturday's Child'' received a positive, lengthy review from

William Dean Howells William Dean Howells (; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ...

, who remarked on her sensitivity to class issues. Norris became involved in various social causes, including

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

, and organizations to benefit children and the poor. Wheeler, Lindbergh, Norris salute

Norris is pictured at an

America First Committee The America First Committee (AFC) was the foremost United States isolationist pressure group against American entry into World War II. Launched in September 1940, it surpassed 800,000 members in 450 chapters at its peak. The AFC principally supp ...

rally in 1941 at Madison Square Garden giving what appears to be a

Nazi salute The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute (german: link=no, Hitlergruß, , Hitler greeting, ; also called by the Nazi Party , 'German greeting', ), or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. Th ...

. There is controversy over whether she was giving the Nazi salute. People reciting the pledge of allegiance sometimes made a gesture with an outstretched arm and the palm up, as opposed to the Nazi salute with the palm down. (More recent commenters sometimes call this gesture the "Bellamy salute", but according to the literary scholar

Sarah Churchwell Sarah Bartlett Churchwell (born May 27, 1970) is a professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, UK. Her expertise is in 20th- and 21st-century American literature ...

, the "Bellamy salute" refers to the language of the pledge rather than any gestures accompanying it.) Contemporary sources described Norris's salute as "closer to the Nazi salute" than to accepted methods of saluting the American flag. At this rally, which took place in May 1941, Norris is pictured with

Charles A. Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

and Senator

Burton K. Wheeler Burton Kendall Wheeler (February 27, 1882January 6, 1975) was an attorney and an American politician of the Democratic Party in Montana, which he represented as a United States senator from 1923 until 1947. Born in Massachusetts, Wheeler began ...

. Many of her novels were made into films, including ''

Butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...

'' (1924), '' My Best Girl'' (1927), ''

The Callahans and the Murphys ''The Callahans and the Murphys'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by George W. Hill. The film was based on a novel by Kathleen Norris, and was the first of several MGM films to star Marie Dressler and Polly Moran. The film was ...

'' (1927), ''Passion Flower'' (1930), and ''Change of Heart'' (1934, based on the novel ''Manhattan Love Song''). Some of Norris's novels were adapted for a radio series, ''By Kathleen Norris'', making her "the first nationally famous writer to have her works brought to radio listeners as a daily serial program." The program, produced by

Phillips Lord Phillips Haynes Lord (July 13, 1902 – October 19, 1975) was an American radio program writer, creator, producer and narrator as well as a motion picture actor, best known for the '' Gang Busters'' radio program that was broadcast from 1935 to ...

, was broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

October 9, 1939 – September 26, 1941. Norris died January 18, 1966, in San Francisco at the home of her son Dr. Frank Norris. She was 85.

Family

In 1919 the family moved to a ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains near

Saratoga, California Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, its population was 31,051 at the 2020 census. Saratoga is an affluent residential community, known for its wineries, restaurants, and attra ...

, adjacent to the Villa Montalvo estate of James Duval Phelan. They later built a house in

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

and spent summers at the ranch. Kathleen's sister Teresa, who had married

William Rose Benét William Rose Benét (February 2, 1886 – May 4, 1950) was an American poet, writer, and editor. He was the older brother of Stephen Vincent Benét. Early life and education He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Col. James Walker Benét a ...

and borne three children, died in 1919. Kathleen fought for and eventually obtained guardianship of the two nieces and a nephew: Rosemary, Kathleen Anne and

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

Benét. Her granddaughter Kathleen Norris (1935–1967) was the second wife of Prince Andrew Romanov.

Selected bibliography

* ''Mother'' (1911; new edition, 1913) * ''The Rich Mrs. Burgoyne'' (1912) * ''Poor Dear Margaret Kirby'' (1913) * ''The Treasure'' (1914) * ''Saturday's Child'' (1914) * ''The Story Of Julia Page'' (1915) * ''The Heart of Rachael'' (1916) * ''Martie the Unconquered'' (1917) * ''Josselyn's Wife'' (1918) * ''Harriet and the Piper'' (1920) * ''The Beloved Woman'' (1921) * ''Certain People of Importance'' (1922) * ''Lucretia Lombard'' (1922) * ''Little Ships'' (1925) * ''Hildegarde'' (1926) * ''The Sea Gull'' (1927) * ''The Foolish Virgin'' (1927) * ''Younger Sister'' (1928) * ''Home'' (1928) * ''The Love of Julie Borel'' (1930) * ''Second Hand Wife'' (1932) * ''Maiden Voyage'' (1934) * ''Beauty's Daughter'' (1935), adapted for the 1935 motion picture ''Navy Wife'' * ''Shining Windows'' (1935) * ''Bread into Roses'' (1936) * ''Secret Marriage'' (1936) * ''Over at the Crowleys'' (1941) * ''The Venables'' (1941) * ''Through A Glass Darkly'' (1955)

Filmography

*''The Heart of Rachael'', directed by

Howard Hickman Howard Charles Hickman (February 9, 1880 – December 31, 1949) was an American actor, director and writer. He was an accomplished stage leading man, who entered films through the auspices of producer Thomas H. Ince. Career In 1900, Hickman ...

(1918, based on the novel ''The Heart of Rachael'') *'' Josselyn's Wife'', directed by

(1919, based on the novel ''Josselyn's Wife'') *''

The Luck of Geraldine Laird ''The Luck of Geraldine Laird'' is a lost 1920 silent film drama directed by Edward Sloman and starring Bessie Barriscale. It was produced by Bessie Barriscale Productions and released through the Robertson Cole Distributing Corp. Cast *Bessie ...

'', directed by

Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1886, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an English silent film director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 films as an actor betwee ...

(1920, based on the novel ''The Luck of Geraldine Laird'') *''

Harriet and the Piper ''Harriet and the Piper'' is a 1920 American drama film directed by Bertram Bracken and written by Monte M. Katterjohn. It is based on the 1920 novel ''Harriet and the Piper'' by Kathleen Norris. The film stars Anita Stewart, Ward Crane, Char ...

'', directed by Bertram Bracken (1920, based on the novel ''Harriet and the Piper'') *''

Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby ''Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Elaine Hammerstein, Helen Lindroth and Warburton Gamble.Connelly p.397 It was produced by Selznick Pictures and shot at the company' ...

'', directed by William P. S. Earle (1921, based on a story by Kathleen Norris) *''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

'', directed by

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and another, film dir ...

(1922, based on the novel ''Sisters'') *''

Lucretia Lombard ''Lucretia Lombard'', also known as ''Flaming Passion'', is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conway and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Based upon the 1922 novel of the same name by Kathleen Norris, it stars Irene R ...

'', directed by Jack Conway (1923, based on the novel ''Lucretia Lombard'') *''

Christine of the Hungry Heart ''Christine of the Hungry Heart'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Florence Vidor. It was produced by Thomas H. Ince and released through First National Pictures. Plot As described in a review in ...

'', directed by

George Archainbaud George Archainbaud (May 7, 1890 – February 20, 1959) was a French-American film and television director. Biography In the beginning of his career he worked on stage as an actor and manager. He came to the United States in January 1914, and st ...

(1924, based on a story by Kathleen Norris) *''

'', directed by

Clarence Brown Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. Early life Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when he ...

(1924, based on the novel ''Butterfly'') *'' Rose of the World'', directed by

Harry Beaumont Harry Beaumont (10 February 1888 – 22 December 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including 20th Century Fox, Fox, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn, Metro Picture ...

(1925, based on the novel ''Rose of the World'') *'' Josselyn's Wife'', directed by Richard Thorpe (1926, based on the novel ''Josselyn's Wife'') *''Mother'', directed by

James Leo Meehan James Leo Meehan (1891 – 1943) was an American film director and screenwriter.Munden p. 411 He married the daughter of writer Gene Stratton-Porter, and adapted several of his mother-in-law's novels for the screen. He directed ''Campus Sweethea ...

(1927, based on the novel ''Mother'') *''

'', directed by George Hill (1927, based on the novel ''The Callahans and the Murphys'') *'' My Best Girl'', directed by Sam Taylor (1927, based on the novel ''My Best Girl'') *''

Passion Flower ''Passiflora'', known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly tendril-bearing vines, with some being shrubs or trees. The ...

'', directed by William C. deMille (1930, based on the novel ''Passion Flower'') *''

Second Hand Wife ''Second Hand Wife'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film written and directed by Hamilton MacFadden. The film stars Sally Eilers, Helen Vinson, Ralph Bellamy, and Victor Jory. The film was released on January 8, 1933 by Fox Film Corporation ...

'', directed by

Hamilton MacFadden Hamilton MacFadden (April 26, 1901 – January 1, 1977) was an American actor, screenwriter and film director. MacFadden's parents were Rev. Robert A. MacFadden and Edith Hamilton MacFadden. His father died in 1909, leaving his mother to suppor ...

(1933, based on the novel ''Second Hand Wife'') *''

Walls of Gold ''Walls of Gold'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Kenneth MacKenna and starring Sally Eilers, Norman Foster, and Ralph Morgan.Goble p.1009 Plot Cast * Sally Eilers as Jeanie Satterlee Ritchie * Norman Foster as Barnes Rit ...

'', directed by Kenneth MacKenna (1933, based on the novel ''Walls of Gold'') *'' Change of Heart'', directed by John G. Blystone (1934, based on the novel ''Manhattan Love Song'') *'' Navy Wife'', directed by Allan Dwan (1935, based on the novel ''Beauty's Daughter'')

References

External links

The Kathleen Thompson Norris Society websiteGuide to the Norris Family Papers
at

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...

Kathleen Norris entries
as found in Library of Congress Online Catalog search
Kathleen Norris Obituary, ''The New York Times''Kathleen Norris Biography, The Literature Network
* *

Library of Congress photograph of Charles A. Lindbergh, Kathleen Norris and Senator Burton K. Wheeler

NYRB article on American Fascism

Electronic editions

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Kathleen 1880 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers Activists from California American anti-war activists American Roman Catholics American temperance activists American women journalists American women novelists Journalists from California Roman Catholic writers University of California, Berkeley alumni American columnists American women columnists Writers from San Francisco