Petra Mayer
Petra Mayer died on November 13, 2021. She has been remembered by friends and colleagues, including all of us at NPR. The Petra Mayer Memorial Fund for Internships has been created in her honor.
Petra Mayer (she/her) was an editor (and the resident nerd) at NPR Books, focusing on fiction, and particularly genre fiction. She brought to the job passion, speed-reading skills, and a truly impressive collection of Doctor Who doodads. You could also hear her on the air and on the occasional episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour.
Prior to her role at NPR Books, she was an associate producer and director for All Things Considered on the weekends. She handled all of the show's books coverage, and she was also the person to ask if you wanted to know how much snow falls outside NPR's Washington headquarters on a Saturday, how to belly dance, or what pro wrestling looks like up close and personal.
Mayer originally came to NPR as an engineering assistant in 1994, while still attending Amherst College. After three years spending summers honing her soldering skills in the maintenance shop, she made the jump to Boston's WBUR as a newswriter in 1997. Mayer returned to NPR in 2000 after a roundabout journey that included a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a two-year stint as an audio archivist and producer at the Prague headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She still knows how to solder.
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This month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of science-fiction great Ray Bradbury. We examine his legacy and the authors he influenced.
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George Orwell's anti-tyranny fable Animal Farm turns 75 this week. We examine what Orwell was thinking when he wrote it, why it's lasted so long and what we can learn from it today.
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Comic-Con began Wednesday. It's virtual this year due to the pandemic. Instead of waiting in endless lines in San Diego, fans will be able to watch panel discussions online.
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These are troubled times and the high-concept fashion house is reflecting that in its fall 2020 collection — three mini-wardrobes embodying anger, confusion and, finally, love and hope. -
Tamani's new young adult novel follows two high school basketball stars who fall in love at first sight — but then have to deal with their own issues and secrets to build a lasting relationship.
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The victory gardens of the 1940s helped people contribute to the war effort from the safety of home. 75 years later, vegetable gardens are having a resurgence, for similiar reasons. -
Journalist and activist George M. Johnson's new memoir All Boys Aren't Blue is an unflinching account of growing up black and queer — from kindergarten bullies to unexpected college brotherhood.
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Hendrix's new novel, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, stars a group of determined women who band together to take on a suave supernatural threat in their community. -
Literary pun purveyor Tom Gauld turns his pen to the foibles of science (and science fiction) in his new comic collection Department of Mind-Blowing Theories, inspired by his scientist grandfather. -
Tomie DePaola died Monday following a fall. Among his classics is the Caldecott winner Strega Nona, which was a tale of a witch, her assistant and a magic pot.
