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Nebraska Authors

Katie Kelly

Born 1936-11-25 Omaha, NE (USA)

Died 2018-05-04
Omaha, NE (USA)

Kelly was born in Omaha and grew up in Albion, Nebraska. In the 1980s she gained celebrity for her entertainment reviews on New York television, leading to appearances in the same role on national network television programs including "The Today Show," and "Entertainment Tonight." Following a 1988 visit to Vietnam, in 1990 Kelly gave up her television career to move to Vietnam and teach and advocate for Amerasian children, many of whom faced dire circumstances after America withdrew from the war there. Kelly retired back to Nebraska in 1995.

Places Lived

Albion, NE
Omaha, NE
New York, NY
Vietnam

Author Of

  • Journalism
  • Nonfiction

Keywords

TV and Movie Criticism; Journalism; Social Comment; Fashion; Autobiography; Saigon

Education

Graduate, 1954, Albion High School, Albion, NE
BA in Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Occupation

Teacher
Journalist
TV and movie critic
Free-Lance Journalist

Places Worked

Time Magazine
New York Post
WABC
Entertainment Tonight
Today Show
WNBC-TV, New York, NY

Associations

Nebraska Society of New York
Nature Conservancy of Nebraska
Field Club Neighborhood Association, Omaha, Nebraska

Bibliography

The Wonderful World of Women's Wear Daily. 1972.
Garbage: The History and Future of Garbage in America. 1973.
My Prime Time: Confessions of a TV Watcher. 1980.
A Year in Saigon: How I Gave Up My Glitzy Job in Television to Have the Time of My Life Teaching Amerasian Kids in Vietnam. 1992.
The Kellys: An Irish-American Story. 2004.

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Katie Kelly
katie-kelly

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(e.g. Author is buried in Fremont, not in David City / Also wrote for the Daily Nebraskan during her time as a student)