Kate McGrath is a storyteller at heart. Throughout a career in public relations and communications, she refined messages, found the human angle, and gave voice to the accomplishments and priorities of others. In her debut book, The Funny Side of Widowhood, she turns those skills inward, telling a story that is deeply personal and widely relatable.
A native New Yorker, Kate has represented clients in several industries that helped make the Big Apple famous, including fashion, advertising, hospitality, and Broadway. Her varied career has included modeling for Clairol shampoo, writing copy for Women’s Wear Daily, and founding her own agency, KM Media Productions.
One of Kate’s proudest professional achievements was creating and producing The Broadway Hour, a nationally syndicated radio program featuring interviews with leading actors, directors, and playwrights. She broadcast the show from the Algonquin Hotel, the legendary Manhattan gathering place for writers and performers. Kate carefully preserved the interview archive, and episodes of The Broadway Hour can now be heard on Buzzsprout and Spotify.
Why Kate Wrote The Funny Side of Widowhood
Kate’s author journey began as a private act of survival. After losing Dick, she started writing a daily journal. Putting grief on paper brought an unexpected sense of relief and became a source of comfort during a time when almost nothing felt familiar.
Gradually, the pages changed. Alongside the pain, Kate began recording funny moments from her marriage and remembering the humor she and Dick had shared. Later, when she felt ready to date again, a new collection of comic experiences emerged. Friends who heard those stories encouraged her to turn them into a book.
That encouragement helped Kate recognize a larger purpose: her experiences might help other people feel seen. The Funny Side of Widowhood grew into a memoir and emotional companion for those living through grief—a reminder that humor does not diminish love and that laughter can offer a breath of relief on even the heaviest days.
“The Funny Side of Widowhood is a gift of love and laughter to help you through the darkest times.”
A Life Shaped by Journalism and Storytelling
Kate learned the value of a strong lead and a carefully checked fact from her husband, journalist Dick Oliver. His distinguished career included reporting from the Vietnam War for United Press International, serving as a managing editor for the New York Daily News, hosting radio, and working for many years as a television reporter for Good Day New York.
Dick was Kate’s husband, best friend, and great love. His death changed the shape of her life. In the months that followed, writing became a place where she could release anger, fear, loneliness, and sorrow—and where she could revisit the laughter they had shared.
