Patricia Cornwell

Creator Context

Summary

Bestselling crime novelist and creator of the Kay Scarpetta series. She is openly lesbian and publicly advocated for same-sex marriage in the 2000s during a period when it remained controversial. She introduced one of mainstream fiction's early prominent lesbian characters through her work and has discussed personal authenticity around sexuality. Her political donations have been bipartisan over decades, with some criticism of later books for perceived progressive insertions from longtime readers.