Karen Abbott (born January 23, 1973) is an American author of historical non-fiction. Her works include Sin in the Second City, American Rose, and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. Read full biography of Karen Abbott →
America's first Olympics may have been its worst, or at least its most bizarre.
As a kid, I liked to write, but I didn't think that was a viable career choice. My dream, actually, was to be a white girl rapper and join... →
At least in cities where the Confederate Army established a base of operations, young women were overwhelmed by the number of prospective suitors.... →
Before the Great Chicago Fire, no one took notice of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, two Irish immigrants who lived with their five children on... →
By 1865, all Southern women - the happily and regrettably single, the perpetually engaged, the wives and widows - had tired of the war. The... →
Female spies typically represented one of two extremes: the seductress who employed her wiles to manipulate men, and the cross-dresser who blended in... →
I don't consider 'American Rose' to be a biography so much as a microcosm of 20th-century America, told through Gypsy's tumultuous... →
I had spent five years not earning a penny, getting rejected. Thank God I had a husband who was supportive and encouraging. But I still said to... →
I think the most important thing journalism taught me is to mine for details. The details are key. You can't try to be funny or strange or... →
I wasn't really a dark kid, but I was in my head a lot. I got good grades all through my 16 years of Catholic school, but I was always writing... →
In 2001, I moved from Philly to Atlanta, where I lived for six years. I had never lived anywhere but Philly, and you can imagine the culture shock;... →
In the beginning of the war, Southern women wanted their men to leave - in droves, and as quickly as possible. They were the Confederate Army's... →
In the sudden absence of husbands, fathers, brothers and beaus, white Southern women discovered a newfound freedom - one that simultaneously granted... →
Karen Abbott (born January 23, 1973) is an American author of historical non-fiction. Her works include Sin in the Second City, American Rose, and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy.