Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 - August 22, 1904), was an American author of short stories and novels based in Louisiana. She is now considered by some scholars to have been a forerunner of American 20th-century feminist authors of Southern or Catholic background, such as Zelda Fitzgerald, and is one of the most frequently read and recognized writers of Louisiana Creole heritage. Chopin had a strong belief in the strength of women and their sexuality.