Kate Lehrer

American writer

Novelist
book reviewer
writer

Alma materTexas Christian UniversitySpouse

Jim Lehrer

(m. 1960; died 2020)

Children3

Kate Lehrer (born Kate Tom Staples; December 17, 1939) is an American writer, novelist and book reviewer from Washington, D.C., and a panelist on the Diane Rehm Book Club on National Public Radio. She is the widow of fellow writer and journalist Jim Lehrer.

Literary career

Lehrer has written four novels, as well as numerous short stories, essays, and book reviews. Her first novel, Best Intentions, was published in 1987.^[1] When They Took Away the Man in the Moon came out in 1993.^[2] Out of Eden, which won the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel, was published in 1996.^[3] Confessions of a Bigamist: A Novel, described by the Washington Post as whimsical and droll, was published in 2004.^[4]

Publishers Weekly describes Lehrer's writing style as intelligent and mannered.^[5] The Washington Post characterizes her work as fitting into “the burgeoning category of chicklit.”^[6]

In 2004, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by McDaniel College.^[7]

Personal life

Lehrer was born Kate Tom Staples in Waco, Texas, as the only child of Thomas Malcolm Staples, a county extension agent, and Lucy Joplin, a social worker.^[8] She attended Texas Christian University where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Kate was married to Jim Lehrer, the news anchor for the PBS NewsHour on PBS,^[8] from 1960 until his death in 2020. They had three children and six grandchildren.^[8]

Honors and awards

Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel (1996)
Honorary Doctor of Letters, McDaniel College (2004)

References

^ Coffey, Jerry (June 27, 1993). "Novelists go on the road Jim, Kate Lehrer tour together to promote their latest books". The Kansas City Star. pp. J10. Retrieved 12 April 2010. Kate Lehrer, whose first novel, Best Intentions, was a best seller in 1987, draws upon her own background in When They Took Away the Man in the Moon, about a political consultant forced to confront her past when a family emergency sends her home to Texas. (Payment required.)
^ Reynolds, Susan Salter (Jul 11, 1993). "When They Took Away The Man In The Moon by Kate Lehrer". Los Angeles Times. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2010. (Payment required.)
^ "Jim and Kate Lehrer to get honorary degrees". The Sun. Baltimore, Md. May 16, 2004. pp. 8.B. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2010. Kate Lehrer, a writer and founding member of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation Board, received the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel of 1996 for her book, Out of Eden. (Payment required.)
^ Zeidner, Lisa (May 30, 2004). "Double or Nothing; An efficiency expert clutters her life by adding another marriage". Washington Post. pp. T.12. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2010. Lehrer's tone is mostly droll. ... Kate Lehrer's whimsical fourth novel, Confessions of a Bigamist, ... (Payment required.)
^ "Review by Publishers Weekly Review". Publishers Weekly (Reed Business Information). DC Public Library. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2010. In her intelligent, mannered style, Lehrer (When They Took Away the Man in the Moon) ably portrays social pressures and conventions of the period and writes well-nuanced dialogue.
^ Zeidner, Lisa (May 30, 2004). "Double or Nothing; An efficiency expert clutters her life by adding another marriage". Washington Post. pp. T12. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2010. Kate Lehrer's whimsical fourth novel, Confessions of a Bigamist, is an entry in a burgeoning category of chick lit: women having it all. ... (Payment required.)
^ The Baltimore Sun - "McDaniel's Commencement is Saturday; Jim and Kate Lehrer to Get Honorary Degrees", May 16, 2004.
^ ^a ^b ^c Weeks, Linton (May 13, 2004). "In Her Own Write". Washington Post. pp. C01. Retrieved 12 April 2010.

Sources

"National Book Festival 2004: Kate Lehrer". Washington: The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
Lehrer, Kate (April 1, 2009). "Don't Call Me Granny". The Washingtonian. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
"Kate Lehrer Bio" (PDF). The Key School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
Lehrer, Kate (2003). Out of Eden: A Novel. ISBN 1931868336.