Sarah Dreher

Sarah Dreher
Born(1937-03-26)March 26, 1937
Hanover, Pennsylvania
DiedApril 2, 2012(2012-04-02) (aged 75)
Amherst, Massachusetts
Occupation
Period20th century
GenreMystery
Literary movementLesbian literature
Notable worksSolitaire and Brahms

Sarah Dreher (born March 26, 1937, Hanover, Pennsylvania – died April 2, 2012,[1] Amherst, Massachusetts) was an American lesbian novelist and playwright, and best known for her award-winning lesbian mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Stoner McTavish.[2]

Her themes include "the anguish of lesbian relationships beginning, ending or mending. Dreher's lesbian protagonists are modern heroes searching for integrity and identity..."[3] In the resolution of her mysteries, solutions other than resorting to traditional justice system intervention are part of the exploration of society outside the existing social paradigm.

Dreher has contributed essays and writings to a number of projects, including Off the Rag: Lesbians Writing about Menopause by Lee Lynch and Akia Woods, "Waiting for Stonewall" in Sexual Practice/Textual Theory: Lesbian Cultural Criticism,[4] and a contributed chapter to They Wrote the Book: Thirteen Women Mystery Writers Tell All.[5]

In addition to writing, Dreher was a clinical psychologist in private practice, graduating first from Wellesley College, then gaining a Ph.D. in psychology from Purdue University.[6]

  1. ^ "Sarah A. Dreher Obituary: View Sarah Dreher's Obituary by The Republican". Obits.masslive.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  2. ^ Griffin, Gabriele. Who's Who in Lesbian and Gay Writing, Routledge (59).
  3. ^ Zimmerman, Bonnie. Lesbian Histories and Cultures, Taylor and Francis (763).
  4. ^ Wolfe, Susan J. and Penelope, Julia. Sexual Practice/Textual Theory: Lesbian Cultural Criticism. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1993
  5. ^ Windrath, Helen (editor), They Wrote the Book: Thirteen Women Mystery Writers Tell All, 2000 Spinsters Ink
  6. ^ Pollack, Sandra and Denise D. Knight (Editors). Contemporary Lesbian Writers of the United States: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook, 1993 (p. 186-191)