Podcasts about paretsky

This week, we discuss the threat censorship poses to democracy as part of Banned Books Week, an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. Presented by the American Library Association, this panel includes Heather Booth, Anna Claussen, Sara Paretsky, and Donna Seaman. The following conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival.AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOMEAbout the speakers:HEATHER BOOTH is the Audiobooks Editor for Booklist and a reader's advisory librarian at the Helen Plum Library in Lombard, IL. She is also serving her third term as a trustee at the Westmont Public Library. Booth, the mother of two teens, has focused on teen services, and has been involved in facing book challenges and preserving our freedom to read.ANNA CLAUSSEN is the Policy and Outreach Coordinator – Libraries for the Illinois Secretary of State.A Chicago-based author, SARA PARETSKY is one of only four living writers to have received both the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain. Her latest V. I. Warshawski novel is Pay Dirt. Paretsky is an ardent freedom of speech advocate.DONNA SEAMAN is the Editor-in-Chief for Booklist. A recipient of the Louis Shores Award for excellence in book reviewing and the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award, Seaman is a member of the Content Leadership Team for the American Writers Museum and an adjunct professor for Northwestern University's MA in Writing and MFA in Prose and Poetry Programs. Seaman's author interviews are collected in Writers on the Air and she is the author of Identity Unknown: Rediscovering Seven American Women Artists. River of Books: A Life in Reading, will be out fall 2024.

This week, acclaimed mystery writer Sara Paretsky discusses her new book Pay Dirt, the latest installment of her iconic V.I. Warshawski detective series. Paretsky is joined by Booklist editor Donna Seaman. This conversation originally took place April 16, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HUB See Sara and [...]

This week, acclaimed mystery writer Sara Paretsky discusses her new book Pay Dirt, the latest installment of her iconic V.I. Warshawski detective series. Paretsky is joined by Booklist editor Donna Seaman. This conversation originally took place April 16, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HUB See Sara and Donna at the American Writers Festival too! This entirely free literary event takes place May 19, 2024 at the Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago, co-presented by the American Writers Museum and Chicago Public Library. Sara and Donna are part of the Freedom to Read panel presented by the American Library Association. More about Pay Dirt: V.I. Warshawski is famous for her cool under fire, her intelligence, her humor, her unflinching courage, and her love of good coffee. But even the strongest people sometimes need a break to recharge, so her friends send her to Kansas for a weekend of college basketball where Angela, one of her protégées, is playing. And that's where trouble finds V.I. Sabrina, one of Angela's roommates, disappears and V.I. agrees to try to find her. Finding a missing person in a city where she knows few people and doesn't have her trusted contacts is hard, but not as hard as the brutally negative reaction to the detective from some of the locals. When V.I. finds Sabrina close to death in a remote house, she lands herself in the FBI's crosshairs and faces a violent online backlash. The men running the county's opioid distribution are also not happy. Discovering a dead body in the same house a few days later, V.I. is pitched headlong into a local land-use battle with roots going back to the Civil War. She finds that today's combatants are just as willing as opponents in the 1860s to kill to settle their differences. V.I.'s survival depends on keeping one step ahead of players in a game she never intended to play, before the clock runs down.

So what does it mean to be an American? Previous guests on KEEN ON AMERICA like Arlie Russell Hochschild and Thelton Henderson told me that they learnt to be an American during the civil rights unrest of the Sixties. Sara Paretsky, the creator of the incomparable female Chicago detective V.I. Warshawski, might agree. As Paretsky told me, learning what it meant to be American was shaped by her experience in the civil rights struggles in Chicago during the Sixties. And the issue of racial injustice remains with her today, featuring centrally in her new V.I. Warshawski thriller, Pay Dirt, a novel which returns returns us to the Kansas of the Civil War.Sara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V.I. Warshawski in Indemnity Only. By creating a detective with the grit and smarts to take on the mean streets, Paretsky challenged a genre in which women historically were vamps or victims. V.I. struck a chord with readers and critics; Indemnity Only was followed by twenty more V.I. novels. Her voice and her world remain vital to readers; the New York Times calls V.I., “a proper hero for these times,” adding, “to us, V.I. is perfect.” While Paretsky's fiction changed the narrative about women, her work also opened doors for other writers. In 1986 she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization to advocate for women crime writers, which earned her Ms. Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year award. More accolades followed: the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; Blacklist won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004, and she has received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from a number of universities. Called “passionate” and “electrifying,” V.I. reflects her creator's own passion for social justice. After chairing the school's first Commission on the Status of Women as a Kansas University undergraduate, Paretsky worked as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side during the turbulent race riots of 1966. Since then, Paretsky's volunteer work has included advocating for healthcare for the mentally ill homeless; mentoring teens in Chicago's most troubled schools, and working for reproductive rights. Through her Sara & Two C-Dogs foundation, she also helps build STEM and arts programs for young people. The actress Kathleen Turner played V.I. Warshawski in the movie of that name. Paretsky's work is celebrated in Pamela Beere Briggs's documentary, Women of Mystery. Today Sara Paretsky's books are published in 30 countries. Paretsky detailed her journey from Kansas farm-girl to New York Times bestseller in her 2007 memoir, Writing in an Age of Silence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In addition, Paretsky has written two stand-alone novels, Ghost Country, and Bleeding Kansas, set in the part of rural Kansas where Paretsky grew up. She has published several short story collections, most recently Love & Other Crimes, and has edited numerous other anthologies. Like her fictional detective, Paretsky has an adored Golden Retriever. Like alto Warshawski, soprano Paretsky doesn't work hard enough at her vocal exercises, but the two women share a love for espresso and rich Italian reds.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

A Woman's Good Eye xx-xx-xx (1) Settled Score [ Paretsky ]

This week, writers Joanne Leedom-Ackerman and Sara Paretsky discuss their craft, the writing process, and the dangers of censorship and book bans. This conversation originally took place June 15, 2023 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. This episode is presented in conjunction with Banned Books Week. Follow the link to learn more about this initiative from the American Library Association and see how you can take action to preserve open access to literature in your community. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the speakers: JOANNE LEEDOM-ACKERMAN is a novelist, short story writer, and journalist. Her works of fiction include Burning Distance and The Far Side of the Desert. She is editor of The Journey of Liu Xiaobo: From Dark Horse to Nobel Laureate. A former reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, Joanne is a Vice President Emeritus and former International Secretary of PEN International. She serves on the boards of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, the International Center for Journalists, Words Without Borders and Refugees International. She is an emeritus board member of Poets and Writers and Human Rights Watch and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and PEN American Center, where she served as a trustee. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Writers Museum. SARA PARETSKY revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V.I. Warshawski in Indemnity Only. By creating a detective with the grit and smarts to take on the mean streets, Paretsky challenged a genre in which women historically were vamps or victims. V.I. struck a chord with readers and critics; Indemnity Only was followed by twenty more V.I. novels. Paretsky detailed her journey from Kansas farm-girl to New York Times bestseller in her 2007 memoir, Writing in an Age of Silence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In addition, Paretsky has written two stand-alone novels, Ghost Country, and Bleeding Kansas, set in the part of rural Kansas where Paretsky grew up. She has published several short story collections, most recently Love & Other Crimes, and has edited numerous other anthologies.

Chair: Sue Turnbull V. I. Warshawski is a private investigator with a forensic interest in white collar crime who loves opera, dresses down, runs whenever she can, and has a passion for her two dogs. She is Sara Paretsky's finest invention – a character of depth and complexity. Over the course of more than 20 novels, Paretsky's depiction of V.I. has offered readers an alternative to the 'hardboiled dick' and radically transformed the detective fiction genre. Paretsky remembers V.I. and reflects on why social justice matters. Event details: Wed 08 Mar, 10:45am on the West Stage

This week, bestselling mystery novelist Sara Paretsky chats with Booklist editor Donna Seaman about Overboard, the latest book in Paretsky's “V.I. Warshawski” detective series. This conversation originally took place May 15th, 2022 at the American Writers Museum and was recorded live as part of the museum's inaugural American Writers Festival. We hope you enjoy entering [...]

This week, bestselling mystery novelist Sara Paretsky chats with Booklist editor Donna Seaman about Overboard, the latest book in Paretsky's “V.I. Warshawski” detective series. This conversation originally took place May 15th, 2022 at the American Writers Museum and was recorded live as part of the museum's inaugural American Writers Festival. We hope you enjoy entering the mind of a writer.

A Woman's Good Eye xx-xx-xx (1) Settled Score [ Paretsky ]

OVERBOARD by crime writer Sara Paretsky is her 21st book in her series about her legendary detective, V.I. Warshawski. As this book begins V.I. is on her way home from an all-night surveillance job in Chicago and is led by her dogs on a mad chase that ends when they discover a badly injured teen hiding in the rocks along Lake Michigan. Credited with transforming the mystery category of books with the creation of her female private eye 40 years ago, Paretsky's books featuring V.I. Warshawski are international best sellers in 30 countries. She's also the founder of Sisters in Crime and recipient of numerous awards around the world. She's advocated for women and the underserved for decades and works closely with literacy and reproductive rights groups. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

Sara Paretsky transformed the mystery world in 1982 with the introduction of private eye V I Warshawski in Indemnity Only. She and V I —tough, credible, street-smart and feminine—challenged the stereotypes of women in fiction as victims or vamps. They made it possible for a new generation of crime writers and fighters to thrive, a generation she continues to support as one of the founders of Sisters in Crime. Paretsky has been awarded both the Cartier Diamond Dagger and MWA's Grand Master. In 2012, she received the Harold Washington Literary Award, whose previous winners include Saul Bellow and Margaret Atwood. Today Paretsky's books are published in 30 countries.Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SaraParetsky/Website https://www.saraparetsky.com/*************Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Through advocacy, programming and leadership, SinC empowers and supports all crime writers regardless of genre or place on their career trajectory.www.SistersinCrime.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincnational/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SINCnationalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersincrime

Before there was Lisbeth Salander or Stephanie Plum, there was V.I. Warshawski. Today we celebrate the birthday of author Sara Paretsky, who joined the National Writers Series in 2013 to talk about Critical Mass, her then-newest detective novel featuring her famous investigator V.I. Warshawski (immortalized in the 1991 film by Kathleen Turner). In this week's episode, guest host Nancy Baker joins Paretsky on the City Opera Hall stage to talk about how Paretsky's experiences in Chicago help shape and inform her novels (and what people need to do when they visit the city - including how to get stalked by the mob), why she might want to buy Texas and return it to Mexico, and why she created the "Sisters in Crime" organization. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nationalwritersseries/message

In this episode, acclaimed modern crime writer Sara Paretsky and political satirist and novelist Christopher Buckley join Fiction/Non/Fiction co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to talk about pushing against the boundaries of genre writing. Buckley discusses how political satire has been redefined in the era of reality-television-star-turned-president Trump, and why his new novel Make Russia Great Again is a faux memoir. Then, Paretsky speaks about making the male-dominated detective fiction genre her own with the best-selling V.I. Warshawski series, and reflects on her recent collection Love & Other Crimes, which also features the iconic character. To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. And check out video excerpts from our interviews at LitHub's Virtual Book Channel and Fiction/Non/Fiction's YouTube Channel. This podcast is produced by Andrea Tudhope.  Guests: Christopher Buckley Sara Paretsky Selected readings for the episode: Christopher Buckley Make Russia Great Again But Enough About You They Eat Puppies, Don't They? Losing Mum and Pup Supreme Courtship Boomsday No Way to Treat a First Lady Florence of Arabia Little Green Men Wry Martinis Sara Paretsky V.I. Warshawski novels Indemnity only Fallout Fire Sale Hardball Love & Other Crimes “Acid Test” “Miss Bianca” “Flash Point” Anatomy of Innocence Others:  “Christopher Buckley's ‘Make Russia Great Again' is the Trump satire we've been waiting for” by Ron Charles  “Sarah Cooper Doesn't Mimic Trump. She Exposes Him.” by ZZ Packer Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare “Fawlty Towers” - Television series “‘Art of the Deal' co-author: Trump ‘couldn't care less tens of thousands are people are dying'” - MSNBC interview with Donald Trump's ghostwriter Tony Schwartz “This Be The Verse” by Philip Larkin  Hilary Mantel Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump Fiction/Non/Fiction interview with Curtis Sittenfeld Fiction/Non/Fiction interview with Jabari Asim Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld Anna Katherine Green S.J. Rozan Raymond Chandler The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett Dorothy L. Sayers Raymond Chandler John D. MacDonald Rex Stout Jabari Asim John Conroy Lee Child Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this spellbinding collection, Paretsky showcases her extraordinary talents in a new V.I. Warshawski story, along with fourteen additional short stories, eight of those featuring the indomitable detective. As Publishers Weekly praised, ““The love that really comes through in each story is the love and empathy Paretsky has for her all-too-human characters.” Paretsky is the master of twisting suspense and pacey plot. She is one of only four living writers to have received both the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain. She has been hailed by the crime community as "a legend" (Harlan Coben) and "one of the all-time greats" (Karin Slaughter). Her acclaimed novels featuring detective V.I. Warshawski rank among the most celebrated crime series in modern fiction. For longtime fans of V.I. Warshawski, new readers discovering her for the first time, or any lover of crime and suspense, LOVE & OTHER CRIMES is a celebration of Paretsky’s exceptional storytelling skill and a searing exploration of the dark conspiracies and desperate human acts hiding in plain sight. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/steve-richards/support

Sara Paretsky is a modern American author of detective fiction. Paretsky was raised in Kansas, and graduated from the state university with a degree in political science. She did community service work on the south side of Chicago in 1966 and returned in 1968 to work there. She ultimately completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Chicago, entitled The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New England Before the Civil War, and finally earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. She has lived in Chicago since 1968.The protagonist of all but two of Paretsky's novels is V.I. Warshawski, a female private investigator. Warshawski's eclectic personality defies easy categorization. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black Label, breaks into houses looking for clues, and can hold her own in a street fight, but also she pays attention to her clothes, sings opera along with the radio, and enjoys her sex life.Paretsky is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novels.Chicago may be the city of broad shoulders, but its political law is “Pay to Play.” Money changes hands in the middle of the night, and by morning, buildings and parks are replaced by billion-dollar projects.DEAD LAND - Chicago PI V.I. Warshawski gets pulled into one of these clandestine deals through her impetuous goddaughter, Bernie Fouchard. Bernie tries to rescue Lydia Zamir, a famed singer-songwriter now living on the streets; Zamir’s life fell apart when her lover was murdered next to her in a mass shooting at an outdoor concert. Not only does Bernie plunge her and V.I. headlong into the path of some ruthless developers, they lead to the murder of the young man Bernie is dating. He’s a computer geek working for a community group called SLICK.V.I. is desperate to find a mysterious man named Coop, who roams the lakefront in the middle of the night with his dog. She’s sure he holds the key to the mounting body count within SLICK. Coop may even know why an international law firm is representing the mass murderer responsible for Lydia’s lover’s death. Instead, the detective finds a terrifying conspiracy stretching from Chicago’s parks to a cover-up of the dark chapters in America’s meddling in South American politics. Before she finds answers, this electrifying novel pushes V.I. close to the breaking point: People who pay to play take no prisoners.Liz Decker is the owner of Caprichos Books an independent book store in Bel Air, Maryland. These are trying times for small business owners. Liz shares how she is coping and finding ways to to keep the book store a vital part of downtown Bel Air.

Guest presenter, Elizabeth Perry, aka E.C Reads on Instagram talks to Sara Paretsky about the food moments in Dead Land, the latest in the series to feature her private detective V.I. Warshawski. When Indemnity Only, the first, was published in 1982, Paretsky revolutionised the genre with this tough-talking female private eye, and in 2002 won the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement. Elizabeth has been reading her since she was 14 and admits that she is massive nerd-level fan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chicago meets Kirkcaldy. Two Queens of the genre. One stage. Before there was Lisbeth Salander there was V I Warshawski. Sara Paretsky revolutionised the mystery world when she introduced V I in Indemnity Only. By creating a believable investigator with the grit and the smarts to tackle problems on the mean streets, she challenged a genre in which women typically were either vamps or victims. Paretsky put fire in Warshawski’s eyes and in the process inspired a generation of women crime writers, including Val McDermid. One of the biggest names of the genre, Val’s creations include Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan and the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series. Two passionate, electrifying authors with a passion for social justice. Expect sparks to fly. Special Guests: Sara Paretsky In Conversation With Val McDermid was recorded live at Harrogate International Festivals' Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July 2015.

Authors on the Air host Pam Stack is honored to welcome international best-selling author Sara Paretsky. Called “passionate” and “electrifying,” V.I. reflects her creator’s own passion for social justice. As a contributor to the New York Times and the Guardian newspapers, Paretsky is an impassioned advocate for those on society’s margins. Paretsky served with then-state senator Obama on the board of Thresholds, which serves Chicago’s mentally ill homeless. In 1986 she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization to support women crime writers, which earned her Ms. Magazine’s 1987 Woman of the Year award, the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; from Blacklist won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004, and she has received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from several different universities. To learn more about Sara visit her website at http://www.saraparetsky.com/ and purchase her books on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1ESmSUE. This is a copyrighted trademarked podcast solely owned by the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network LLC. ON the web at http://authorsontheair.com. Like us on http://facebook.com/authorsontheair or send a Tweet to @authorsontheair.

Authors on the Air host Pam Stack is honored to welcome international best-selling author Sara Paretsky. Called “passionate” and “electrifying,” V.I. reflects her creator’s own passion for social justice. As a contributor to the New York Times and the Guardian newspapers, Paretsky is an impassioned advocate for those on society’s margins. Paretsky served with then-state senator Obama on the board of Thresholds, which serves Chicago’s mentally ill homeless. In 1986 she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization to support women crime writers, which earned her Ms. Magazine’s 1987 Woman of the Year award, the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; from Blacklist won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004, and she has received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from several different universities. To learn more about Sara visit her website at www.saraparetsky.com/ and purchase her books on Amazon at amzn.to/1ESmSUE. This is a copyrighted trademarked podcast solely owned by the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network LLC. ON the web at authorsontheair.com. Like us on facebook.com/authorsontheair or send a Tweet to @authorsontheair.

This week, it’s Claire’s birthday so she’s meeting with two of her favourite authors: crime author Paretsky and Call Me By Your Name writer Aciman

Before there was Lisbeth Salander or Stephanie Plum, there was V I Warshawski. Sara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V I in Indemnity Only. By creating a believable investigator with the grit and the smarts to tackle problems on the mean streets, Paretsky challenged a genre in which women typically were either vamps or victims. Hailed by critics and readers, Indemnity Only was followed by fifteen more best-selling Warshawski novels.  The New York Times writes that Paretsky “always makes the top of the list when people talk about female operatives,” while Publishers Weekly says, “Among today’s PIs, nobody comes close to Warshawski.” Called “passionate” and “electrifying,” V.I. reflects her creator’s own passion for social justice. As a contributor to the New York Times and the Guardian newspapers, and a speaker at such venues as the Library of Congress and Oxford University, Paretsky is an impassioned advocate for those on society’s margins.  After chairing the school’s first Commission on the Status of Women as a Kansas undergraduate, Paretsky worked as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side during the turbulent race riots of 1966.  More recently, Paretsky served with then-state senator Obama on the board of Thresholds, which serves Chicago’s mentally ill homeless.  She has mentored teens in Chicago’s most troubled schools, and works closely with literacy and reproductive rights groups.  Her latest novel is FALLOUT and she talks about it on a special edition of SECOND SUNDAY CRIME with host Libby Hellmann. This is a trademarked copyrighted podcast solely available on the Authors on the Air network.

I’m so excited to interview Sara Paretsky, author of 20 books, including the renowned V.I. Warshawski novels. In 1982 she introduced the world to  private eye V.I. Warshawski in her book Indemnity Only. V.I. – tough, credible, street-smart, and feminine – challenged the stereotypes of women in fiction as victims or vamps and Paretsky made it possible for a new generation of crime writers to thrive. In, Brush Back,  the latest book in this series, V.I. must uncover the truth about a crime that hits very close to home, and forces her to take a good look into her family’s past. As V.I. digs for clues and tries to piece the story together, she must put her life—and career—on the line until she can finally discover what happened on a fateful night many those years ago. It could be the biggest case of her career—if V.I. manages to survive. Sara Paretsky was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and is also the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award given by the British Crime Writers’ Association. Paretsky is currently president of the Mystery Writers of America.  She lives in Chicago. Listen in as Sara and I discuss: Creating a unique and strong protagonist. The mystery writing scene and how it’s changed now. Setting as character in writing. Personal limits to detail in topics such as sex and violence in writing. Plus, Sara's #1 tip for writers! For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/054

Nov. 15, 2013. Best-selling author Sara Paretsky discussed "Critical Mass," her 16th V.I. Warshawski novel, which features Warshawski's best friend, Vienna-born doctor Lotty Herschel. Paretsky's skills in developing compelling characters and plots are demonstrated once again in this novel, as she weaves together Lotty's childhood in Vienna, missing persons, meth labs, Chicago history and the race for the atomic bomb during World War II. Speaker Biography: Born in Iowa and raised in Kansas, Sara Paretsky moved to Chicago in the 1960s to organize for social change. Paretsky's interest in social justice helped develop her powerful voice on behalf of the disenfranchised, a voice that can be found in the pages of her novels. A tireless reader of the mystery genre, she created V.I. Warshawski to respond to what she saw as a dearth of worthy female characters in mysteries. In 1986, Paretsky helped found and served as the first president of "Sisters in Crime," a worldwide organization to support women crime writers. It earned her Ms. Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year award. More accolades followed: the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; "Blacklist" won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004; and she has received honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from several universities. Paretsky was named the 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. In addition to the Warshawski mysteries, Paretsky has written the novels "Ghost Country" and "Bleeding Kansas;" a memoir, "Writing in the Age of Silence," which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; and several collections of short stories. Her books are published in 30 countries. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6224

Mystery writer Sara Paretsky appears at the 2011 National Book Festival. Speaker Biography: When detective V.I. Warshawski debuted in 1982 in "Indemnity Only," its author, Sara Paretsky, created a sensation by creating a female investigator who uses her wits as well as her fists. Paretsky challenged a genre in which women typically were either vamps or victims. "Body Work" (Putnam) is the latest in the V.I. series. Paretsky has broken barriers in other ways, such as when she founded Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization that promotes women crime writers, which earned her Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year award. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5306.