Josephine E. Keating (née, Smith; 1838 – November 8, 1908) was an American literary critic, musician and music teacher of the long nineteenth century.

After enjoying success in the music field where she sang for charitable and patriotic purposes and taught music, vocal, piano, harp and guitar, she turned to literature, becoming a discerning and discriminating critic.

At the beginning of her career, she gave much attention to music and its history and to that of the persons most distinguished as executants or professors of it.

After many triumphs in the music field in Nashville, Tennessee, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Memphis, where she sang for charitable and patriotic purposes, teaching music, vocal, piano, harp and guitar, for the support of her family during the war, she turned to literature.

Keating was a letter writer, and for eight years, the New York correspondent of the Appeal.