Kathleen’s Biography

Kathleen Sharp is a PEN Literary Journalism finalist and the author of four acclaimed books, including an Oprah Book Pick and an Amazon bestseller. She’s a screenwriter, producer, media consultant, occasional teacher, and inspirational speaker.

A former correspondent for The Boston Globe, Kathleen has a special place in her heart for newspapers. She’s worked for several, both large and small. She’s covered Central California for the Los Angeles Times and the West for the New York Times. She still contributes pieces to both of those newspapers.

She’s written for magazines such as The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Parade, Elle, Playboy, Men’s Journal and many others. Few of those pieces have been optioned for film.

Kathleen’s most recent book is Blood Medicine: The Man Who Blew the Whistle on One of the Deadliest Prescription Drugs Ever (Dutton/Plume). It was an Oprah Book pick and a #1 Amazon seller in its category. It received rave reviews from the Boston Globe, Associated Press and the New York Journal of Books, which called it “a medical thriller (that) should be on every American’s bookshelf.” Blood Medicine is currently being developed as a TV series

Mr. and Mr. Hollywood: Edie and Lew Wasserman and their Entertainment Empire (Carroll & Graf) is Kathleen’s biography of the legendary power couple who built Universal Studios. Acclaimed by Publisher’s Weekly, Washington Post, and others, a starred Kirkus Review called it “lavish and extravagant.” In 2018, it was reissued in paperback by Blackstone Publishing and in 2017 by AudioGo (formerly BBC Audio). She helped turn her book into the film documentary The Last Mogul, released theatrically by ThinkFilm (2005) and broadcast on Bravo. She also consulted on TCM’s Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood and on a BBC production Hollywood and American Politics.

Kathleen’s other books include In Good Faith (St. Martin’s Press), a true story that was featured on 60 Minutes, and Stalking The Beast: A History of Hollywood Through The King Kong Movies, which began as a fun assignment for Playboy Magazine. She’s contributed to several book anthologies, one of which was nominated for an Edgar award from the Mystery Writers of America.

She’s appeared on ABC News, KCBS Weekend News, Book TV, C-SPAN, The Armstrong Williams Show and others. She’s appeared in and consulted on film documentaries for Turner Classic Movies, A&E and Bravo. She’s produced segments for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

A popular radio guest, Kathleen has appeared on dozens of national shows including the Leonard Lopate Show WNYC, The Jordon Rich Show of WBZ (Boston), CBS Radio, A Touch of Gray on WABC and KRLA, Background Briefing with Ian Masters on KPFK The Peter Werbe Show on WRIF (Detroit), and other NPR affiliate shows.

A dynamic speaker, Kathleen has addressed a variety of groups about innovation, health-care, culture and writing. Her audiences include the JP Morgan Global Leaders Conference; the Museum of Television & Radio in New York City; the Los Angeles Times Book Festival; the National Steinbeck Center and others. She’s been a guest on several college campuses, including UC Irvine.

Kathleen has won half-a-dozen awards from the Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma Delta Chi, including two first-place prizes for investigative reporting, and was a finalist for a PEN Literary Journalism Award in 2018. She’s been honored with an economic fellowship to study at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Washington, a fellowship from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and several grants.

As an entrepreneur, she’s been named Young Businesswoman of the Year by the National Association of Business Women and a 2013 Woman of Achievement by the Association of Women in Communications. She’s volunteered at numerous public and private schools in the Santa Barbara area and for the Mental Health Wellness Center.

To inquire about Kathleen speaking at your event, please contact Lauren Whittle at Keynote Speakers Lauren@keynotespeakers.com or (650-325-8711).