orig. Katherine O'Flaherty
born Feb. 8, 1851, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.
died Aug. 22, 1904, St. Louis
U.S. writer.
Chopin lived in Louisiana during her marriage and began to write after her husband's death. A local colourist and interpreter of New Orleans culture, she foreshadowed later feminist themes. Among her more than 100 short stories are "Désirée's Baby" and "Madame Celestin's Divorce." The Awakening (1899), a realistic novel about the sexual and artistic awakening of a young mother who abandons her family, initially was condemned for its sexual frankness but was later acclaimed.