# Kate Lehrer
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{{Short description|American writer (born 1939)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Kate Lehrer
| image = Ship sponsor of USS Wichita (LCS-13) preparing to give remarks at ship commissioning ceremony US Navy 190112-N-DA434-175 (cropped).jpg
| birth_name = Kate Tom Staples
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|12|17}}
| birth_place = [Waco, Texas](/source/Waco%2C_Texas), US
| education =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Novelist
* book reviewer
* writer
}}
| alma_mater = [Texas Christian University](/source/Texas_Christian_University)
| spouse = {{marriage|[Jim Lehrer](/source/Jim_Lehrer)|1960|January 23, 2020|reason=d.}}
| children = 3
}}
'''Kate Lehrer''' (born '''Kate Tom Staples'''; December 17, 1939) is an American writer, novelist and book reviewer from [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), and a panelist on the [Diane Rehm](/source/Diane_Rehm) Book Club on [National Public Radio](/source/NPR). She is the [widow](/source/widow) of fellow writer and journalist [Jim Lehrer](/source/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.[{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=KC&p_theme=kc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF3F5471A973B9&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Novelists go on the road Jim, Kate Lehrer tour together to promote their latest books.|last=Coffey|first=Jerry|date=June 27, 1993|work=The Kansas City Star|pages=J10|quote=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.|accessdate=12 April 2010|archive-date=13 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213161751/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=KC&p_theme=kc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF3F5471A973B9&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=dead}} (Payment required.)]
''When They Took Away the Man in the Moon'' came out in 1993.[{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60338117.html?dids=60338117:60338117&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+11%2C+1993&author=SUSAN+SALTER+REYNOLDS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=FICTION&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713040807/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60338117.html?dids=60338117:60338117&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+11,+1993&author=SUSAN+SALTER+REYNOLDS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=FICTION&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2012|title=When They Took Away The Man In The Moon by Kate Lehrer |last=Reynolds |first=Susan Salter |date=Jul 11, 1993|work=Los Angeles Times|pages=6|accessdate=12 April 2010}} (Payment required.)]
''Out of Eden'', which won the [Western Heritage Award](/source/Western_Heritage_Award) for Outstanding Novel, was published in 1996.[{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/638320941.html?dids=638320941:638320941&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+16%2C+2004&author=&pub=The+Sun&desc=McDaniel%27s+commencement+is+Saturday+%3B+Jim+and+Kate+Lehrer+to+get+honorary+degrees&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712120736/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/638320941.html?dids=638320941:638320941&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+16,+2004&author=&pub=The+Sun&desc=McDaniel's+commencement+is+Saturday+;+Jim+and+Kate+Lehrer+to+get+honorary+degrees&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 12, 2012|title=Jim and Kate Lehrer to get honorary degrees|date=May 16, 2004|work=The Sun|pages=8.B|quote= Kate Lehrer, a writer and founding member of the [PEN/Faulkner Foundation](/source/PEN%2FFaulkner_Foundation) Board, received the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel of 1996 for her book, Out of Eden.|accessdate=April 12, 2010|location=Baltimore, Md}} (Payment required.)]
''Confessions of a Bigamist: A Novel'', described by the [Washington Post](/source/Washington_Post) as whimsical and droll, was published in 2004.[{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/643932221.html?dids=643932221:643932221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30%2C+2004&author=Reviewed+by+Lisa+Zeidner&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Double+or+Nothing%3B+An+efficiency+expert+clutters+her+life+by+adding+another+marriage.&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203003423/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/643932221.html?dids=643932221:643932221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30,+2004&author=Reviewed+by+Lisa+Zeidner&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Double+or+Nothing;+An+efficiency+expert+clutters+her+life+by+adding+another+marriage.&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2012|title=Double or Nothing; An efficiency expert clutters her life by adding another marriage.|work=Washington Post |last=Zeidner|first=Lisa |date=May 30, 2004|pages=T.12|accessdate=12 April 2010 |quote=Lehrer's tone is mostly droll. ... Kate Lehrer's whimsical fourth novel, Confessions of a Bigamist, ... }} (Payment required.)]
''[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)'' describes Lehrer's writing style as intelligent and mannered.[{{cite web|url=http://catalog.dclibrary.org/vufind/Record/ocm35519243/Reviews|title=Review by Publishers Weekly Review|work=Publishers Weekly (Reed Business Information)|publisher=DC Public Library|quote=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.|accessdate=14 April 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710153504/http://catalog.dclibrary.org/vufind/Record/ocm35519243/Reviews|archive-date=10 July 2012|url-status=dead}}] ''[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)'' characterizes her work as fitting into “the burgeoning category of [chicklit](/source/chicklit).”[{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/643932221.html?dids=643932221:643932221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30%2C+2004&author=Reviewed+by+Lisa+Zeidner&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Double+or+Nothing%3B+An+efficiency+expert+clutters+her+life+by+adding+another+marriage.&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203003423/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/643932221.html?dids=643932221:643932221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30,+2004&author=Reviewed+by+Lisa+Zeidner&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Double+or+Nothing;+An+efficiency+expert+clutters+her+life+by+adding+another+marriage.&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2012|title=Double or Nothing; An efficiency expert clutters her life by adding another marriage.|work=Washington Post |last=Zeidner|first=Lisa |date=May 30, 2004|pages=T12|accessdate=April 12, 2010 |quote=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.)]
In 2004, she was awarded an Honorary [Doctor of Letters](/source/Doctor_of_Letters) degree by [McDaniel College](/source/McDaniel_College).[''The Baltimore Sun'' - "McDaniel's Commencement is Saturday; Jim and Kate Lehrer to Get Honorary Degrees", May 16, 2004.]
==Personal life==
Lehrer was born Kate Tom Staples in [Waco, Texas](/source/Waco%2C_Texas), as the only child of Thomas Malcolm Staples, a county [extension agent](/source/extension_agent), and Lucy Joplin, a [social worker](/source/social_worker).[{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22778-2004May12.html|title=In Her Own Write |last=Weeks|first=Linton |date=May 13, 2004|work=Washington Post|pages=C01|accessdate=12 April 2010}}] She attended [Texas Christian University](/source/Texas_Christian_University) where she was a member of [Kappa Alpha Theta](/source/Kappa_Alpha_Theta).
Kate was married to [Jim Lehrer](/source/Jim_Lehrer), the [news anchor](/source/news_anchor) for the ''[PBS NewsHour](/source/PBS_NewsHour)'' on [PBS](/source/PBS),