Petra Mayer, Books Editor for NPR and ‘Resident Nerd,’ Dies at 46

U.S.|Petra Mayer, Books Editor for NPR and ‘Resident Nerd,’ Dies astatine 46

Petra Mayer, a books exertion for NPR and self-described “resident nerd” who delighted readers with her musings astir subject fiction, comics and cats, died connected Saturday astatine Holy Cross Hospital successful Silver Spring, Md. She was 46.

Her decease was confirmed by her mother, Elke Mayer, who said connected Sunday that the origin was a pulmonary embolism.

Ms. Mayer joined NPR’s books squad successful 2012 and worked connected the civilization desk, according to the nationalist vigor network, which reported her death connected Saturday.

The announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes to Ms. Mayer, who reported connected Comic-Con and contributed to Book Concierge, NPR’s literate proposal tool.

“Petra was NPR done and through,” Nancy Barnes, NPR’s elder vice president for news, said successful an email to the unit connected Saturday that was reported by the nationalist vigor network.

In a connection connected Sunday, NPR said that Ms. Mayer had near an indelible mark.

“This is simply a heartbreaking nonaccomplishment for each of america astatine NPR, our subordinate stations and the millions of listeners successful the nationalist vigor family,” the connection said. “Petra’s passionateness for her work, her emotion for her colleagues and her joyousness sharing books with nationalist vigor listeners person made a lasting impact.”

Before her tenure arsenic a books editor, Ms. Mayer was an subordinate shaper and manager connected the weekends for “All Things Considered,” the vigor network’s flagship quality program, according to NPR. She had besides worked arsenic a accumulation adjunct for “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition Saturday.”

In an interrogation connected Sunday, Elke Mayer said that her girl had been drawn to a vigor vocation portion studying astatine Amherst College, wherever she earned a bachelor’s grade successful past successful 1996, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“She could person progressed to absorption precise easily, but she loved to bash the existent work,” Ms. Mayer said. “She loved to interrogation authors.”

Ms. Mayer said that her girl relished assignments similar covering Comic-Con, wherever she crossed paths with celebrities and characters.

Beth Novey, an exertion and shaper for NPR, told the nationalist vigor web that Petra Mayer “was ever up for thing — whether it was taking connected a last-minute edit, dressing up arsenic the A.P. benignant usher for Halloween oregon making a hedgehog retired of food for an intern farewell party.”

Ms. Novey said connected Twitter that Ms. Mayer was expected to articulation her for brunch connected Saturday. “She had (of course) promised to bring thing ‘stupidly elaborate’ that she had seen connected Great British Bake Off,” Ms. Novey wrote.

After graduating from Amherst, Ms. Mayer received a master’s grade successful broadcast journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Ms. Mayer grew up successful Washington, D.C. In summation to her mother, she is survived by her father, Jeffrey L. Mayer, and her partner, Josh Drobina.

Elke Mayer said that her girl utilized her presumption to item much divers authors. She besides fought for paid internships, her parent said.

Some of the stories that she covered could beryllium heavy, though.

“Petra was the go-to idiosyncratic if anybody successful the arts died,” her parent said. “She would constitute the obit and it would beryllium connected the aerial successful an hour.”