Sara Paretsky published her first story in The American Girl at the age of 11, but it wasn’t until her 30s that she turned to detective fiction. “I loved detective fiction, but I was troubled by the way women were traditionally portrayed in that genre - they always seemed to be either evil or powerless.” Paretsky’s response was to create V.I. Warshawski, a tough, independent female private eye who has become one of the best known characters in crime fiction. Paretsky’s novels include Indemnity Only, Blood Shot, Blacklist, and Fire Sale. Raised in eastern Kansas, where she and her brothers were the only Jewish kids in school, Paretsky talks about her Jewish upbringing and how it has informed her life and writing.

Recorded Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at The Newberry Library.