Petra Mayer
Petra Mayer (she/her) is an editor (and the resident nerd) at NPR Books, focusing on fiction, and particularly genre fiction. She brings to the job passion, speed-reading skills, and a truly impressive collection of Doctor Who doodads. You can also hear her on the air and on the occasional episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour.
Previously, she was an associate producer and director for All Things Considered on the weekends. She handled all of the show's books coverage, and she was also the person to ask if you wanted to know how much snow falls outside NPR's Washington headquarters on a Saturday, how to belly dance, or what pro wrestling looks like up close and personal.
Mayer originally came to NPR as an engineering assistant in 1994, while still attending Amherst College. After three years spending summers honing her soldering skills in the maintenance shop, she made the jump to Boston's WBUR as a newswriter in 1997. Mayer returned to NPR in 2000 after a roundabout journey that included a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a two-year stint as an audio archivist and producer at the Prague headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She still knows how to solder.
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The Black Jewels trilogy flips everything you thought you knew about fantasy on its head. But NPR editor Petra Mayer says it's still a wild ride of mystery, erotica, violence and even true love. What is your favorite book that defies the conventions of its genre? Tell us in the comments below.
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Need a ticket to otherworldly adventure? Look no further. Even if you're stuck at home this summer, these captivating fantasy novels offer great escapes — to the lands of dragons, cyborgs, lizard men and elven princesses. -
They say there are 8 million stories in New York City, and artist Jason Polan wants to sketch all of them. He's trying to draw every single person in the city -- even if it takes him the rest of his life.
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Forty years ago, four wacky moptops called The Monkees bounced onto the nation's TV screens and into the hearts of generations of teenage girls. The band made a brief comeback in the late 80s when reruns of their TV show popped up on MTV. That's when producer Petra Mayer became a lifelong Monkee-maniac.
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The trademark illustrations in The Wall Street Journal look like engravings. But they're actually intricate pointilist portraits. Petra Mayer visits stipple artist Noli Novak at her New Jersey studio.
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The fifth World Bonsai Convention is taking place this weekend at the Washington Hilton, and convention organizers say it's the biggest bonsai event ever. -
Her mother once told her she'd be disowned if she ever bought a motorcycle. But that didn't stop NPR's Petra Mayer from checking out the International Motorcycle Show in Washington, D.C., and sending an audio postcard. -
One of the last novelty-item factories in the country, the S.S. Adams Company in Neptune, New Jersey, manufactures joy buzzers, whoopee cushions, and cans of jumping snakes. Mark Newgarden, author of Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item, and NPR's Petra Mayer take a tour.
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By running a 1997 Chevy van on old vegetable oil, the funk band Patio Kings saves money and the environment during a 25-city tour. NPR's Petra Mayer takes a ride on the van.
