Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as sp ...

, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.

Life and career

Paretsky was born in

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary me ...

. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the family to

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

in 1951 after taking a job at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

, where Paretsky eventually graduated. The family rented an old farm house. Her relationship with her parents was strained; her mother was an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

and her father was a harsh disciplinarian. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

from the

, she did

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

work on the south side of Chicago in 1966 and returned in 1968 to work there. She completed her AM (masters) degree at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

in 1969 and completed a Ph.D. in history there in 1977; her dissertation was titled "The Breakdown of

Moral Philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ...

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

Before the Civil War". She also earned an MBA in 1977 from the

University of Chicago Graduate School of Business The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chicago Booth or Booth) is the graduate business school of the University of Chicago. Founded in 1898, Chicago Booth is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and is associated with 10 N ...

. Her husband, Courtenay Wright, was a professor of

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

at the University of Chicago; the two were together from 1970 until his death in 2018. Paretsky is an alumna of the Ragdale Foundation. She was to appear in an amateur light opera production in 2011. The protagonist of all but two of Paretsky's novels is the female

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

V.I. Warshawski, and the author is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel.Martin, Nora (1996).
""In the business of believing women's stories": Feminism through detective fiction (Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton)"
' (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University The Winter 2007 issue of ''Clues: A Journal of Detection'' is devoted to her work. She is also considered the founding mother of

Sisters in Crime Sisters in Crime is an organization that has 4,500 members in 60+ regional chapters worldwide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. Members are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their ...

, an organization that supports and promotes women in the mystery field.

Bibliography

Novels

*'' Indemnity Only'' (1982) *'' Deadlock'' (1984) *''Killing Orders'' (1985) *''Bitter Medicine'' (1987) *'' Blood Shot'' (1988) (Published in the UK as ''Toxic Shock'') *''Burn Marks'' (1990) *''Guardian Angel'' (1992) *''Tunnel Vision'' (1994) *''Ghost Country'' (1998) (non-Warshawski novel) *''Hard Time'' (1999) *''Total Recall'' (2001) *''

Blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...

'' (2003) *''Fire Sale'' (2005) *''Bleeding Kansas'' (2008) (non-Warshawski novel) *''Hardball'' (2009) *''Body Work'' (2010) *''Breakdown'' (2012) *''Critical Mass'' (2013) *''Brush Back'' (2015) *''Fallout'' (2017) *''Shell Game'' (2018) *''Dead Land'' (2020) *''Overboard'' (2022)

Short story collections

* ''Windy City Blues'', Delacorte (1995) (1988) (Published in the UK as ''V.I. for Short'') * ''A Taste of Life and Other Stories'', London, Penguin, (1995). *''Love & Other Crimes'' (2020). ISBN 978-0062915542

eBooks

* ''Photo Finish'' (2000) * ''V.I. x 2'' (2002) includes short stories 'Photo Finish' & 'Publicity Stunts' * ''V.I. x 3'' (2011) includes both stories from V.I. x 2 and 'A Family Sunday in the Park'

Non-fiction

*''Case Studies in Alternative Education''. Chicago Center for New Schools, 1975 . *''Writing in an Age of Silence'' (2007) *''Words, Works, and Ways of Knowing: The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New England Before the Civil War.'' Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.

As editor

*''Eye of a Woman'' (short stories). New York, Delacorte Press, 1990 ; as ''A Woman's Eye: New Stories by the Best Women Crime Writers'', London, Virago, 1991 *''Women on the Case'' (1997) ; as ''Woman's Other Eye'', London, Virago, 1996 *''Sisters on the Case'' (2007)

Awards and recognition

1986 Anthony award Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the co ...

nomination for best novel, ''Killing Orders'' * 1989 Anthony award nomination for best novel, '' Blood Shot'' *

1992 Anthony award Bouchercon is an annual fan convention, convention of creators and devotees of mystery fiction, mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, whi ...

winner of best short story collection award, ''A Woman's Eye'' * 2002 Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement by the

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. T ...

. * 2004 Gold Dagger Award for

by the

. * 2011 Anthony award Lifetime Achievement award winner * 2011 Grand Master by the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

* 2019

Winner of Sue Grafton Memoriam, ''Shell Game'' * 2021

Nomination for Sue Grafton Memoriam, ''Dead Land''Edgar Awards category list

References

External links

*
Roger Nichols of Modern Signed Books interviews Sara ParetskyInterview with Sara Paretsky
''Speaking of Mysteries TV Series'' (2001)
Sara Paretsky papers
at The Newberry {{DEFAULTSORT:Paretsky, Sara 1947 births 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American mystery writers American detective fiction writers American women novelists Cartier Diamond Dagger winners Living people People from Ames, Iowa American people of Polish-Jewish descent University of Chicago alumni University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni University of Kansas alumni Writers from Chicago Jewish American novelists Anthony Award winners Edgar Award winners Women mystery writers Novelists from Iowa 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers Novelists from Illinois 21st-century American Jews