Katherine Kurtz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katherine Kurtz
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Kurtz in 2018
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| Born | October 18, 1944 Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Irish (dual citizenship) |
| Education | University of Miami (BS) University of California, Los Angeles (MA) |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Notable works | Deryni novels |
Katherine Irene Kurtz is an American writer known for her exciting fantasy novels. She was born on October 18, 1944. Katherine Kurtz has written many books, including sixteen novels in her famous Deryni series. She has also written other types of fantasy stories. For over twenty years, she lived in Ireland before moving to Virginia in 2007.
Early Life and Learning
Katherine Kurtz was born and grew up in Coral Gables, Florida. She was a bright student and earned a scholarship. She studied chemistry at the University of Miami, getting a Bachelor of Science degree.
Later, she went to medical school for a year. She then studied Medieval history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning a Master of Arts degree. While she was studying for her master's, she worked for the Los Angeles Police Academy. This is also when she started writing her very first novels. She also had jobs in oceanography and television.
Her Writing Career
Katherine Kurtz is most famous for her Deryni novels and short stories. Her first book, Deryni Rising, came out in 1970. This book was special because it was one of the first fantasy novels that felt like historical fiction. This means it mixed made-up stories with details that felt real, like history.
At that time, many fantasy books were more about myths or legends, like those by J. R. R. Tolkien. Katherine Kurtz's books were different. They paid close attention to how important faith was in older societies. She also showed magic as a formal, ritual practice. This was different from how magic was often shown as more casual in other fantasy stories.
She also wrote other book series. Her Templar series tells alternate history stories with a touch of magic. Her Adept series explores urban fantasy, which means magic happens in modern city settings.
Katherine Kurtz enjoys connecting with her fans. She used to have a weekly online chat. There, she would talk about her writing, her life, her cats, and many other interesting topics.
Her Personal Life
Katherine Kurtz married Scott MacMillan in 1983. They had one son named Cameron. A few years after they married, they moved to Ireland. Both Katherine and Scott later became citizens of Ireland.
Until 2007, they lived in a historic building called Holybrooke Hall in County Wicklow, Ireland. Katherine continued to write her books there. Scott, who had worked in the film industry, took on a role as a herald in the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. In 2006, they decided to sell their home in Ireland. In 2007, they moved back to the United States, settling in a historic house in Staunton, Virginia. Scott MacMillan passed away in 2019.
