130 ratings | 25 reviews | avg rating:4.78

Diane Lefer’s Followers (9)

Diane’s Bookshelves

to-read (20)
currently-reading (0)
read (843)
did-not-finish (0)
abandoned (7)
gave-up (6)

Diane’s Friends (14)

Carol

1,775 books | 39 friends

Tara

1,293 books | 1,956 friends

Heather Fineisen

10,161 books | 1,227 friends

Author & Book Promotions

97 books | 4,754 friends

Lantern Publishing & Media

215 books | 355 friends

Virginia Aronson

149 books | 513 friends

Amy

271 books | 509 friends

Bryan Murphy

830 books | 919 friends

More friends…

Diane Lefer

Goodreads Author

Born

New York City, The United States

Website

http://www.dianelefer.weebly.com

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Politics

Member Since

July 2010

edit data

Though I dropped out of college decades ago, I ended up teaching for 23 years in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College. But back in the day, I ran away to Oaxaca, Mexico where the people and place inspired many of the stories in The Circles I Move In. My love and respect for Latin America still guide me--most recently as Hector Aristizábal's co-author. The Blessing Next to the Wound is his story of surviving arrest, torture, drug cartel violence, and civil war in Colombia and how his past informs his activism here in the US and around the world. We also collaborated on Nightwind, a play about torture that has toured as far afield as Afghanistan. In July 2010, Hector performed it (at considerable risk) in Colombia for the first time ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Diane Lefer questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Diane Lefer’s books

Average rating: 4.16 · 184 ratings · 41 reviews · 26 distinct works

	The Blessing Next to the Wound: A Story of Art, Activism, and Transformation by Diane Lefer (Goodreads Author), Héctor Aristizábal 4.24 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2010 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	California Transit: Stories 3.67 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fiery Alphabet 4.40 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Circles I Move In: Short Stories 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1994	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nobody Wakes Up Pretty 4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Out of Place really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Radiant Hunger 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2001 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Very Much Like Desire (Carnegie Mellon Series in Short Fiction) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2000	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Confessions of a Carnivore it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Emma Lazarus : Poet 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1988 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Diane Lefer…

128 posts
Diane Lefer's Blog

Free E-book. A short, dark novel

The news is dark enough and the Trump administration has wreaked its cruelty for too long. Nothing short about the lives taken and ruined. So I know people would rather read something funny or uplifting. But I’m at the age when I need to start clearing out my closets, my file cabinets, and my hard drive, and so I’m launching The Still Point, available for free at just about anywhere but Amazon. (T

rss
Diane’s Recent Updates

Diane Lefer wrote a new blog post Free E-book. A short, dark novel The news is dark enough and the Trump administration has wreaked its cruelty for too long. Nothing short about the lives taken and ruined. So I know p Read more of this blog post »
Mar 02, 2026 12:21AM · like
Diane Lefer finished reading The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 27, 2026 09:26AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer is currently reading The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 17, 2025 10:26AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer wants to read Classified Woman by Sibel Edmonds (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 20, 2024 06:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Classified Woman by Sibel Edmonds. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Classified Woman by Sibel Edmonds <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer finished reading Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 14, 2024 09:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer started reading Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 11, 2024 10:38AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Señales que precederán al fin del mundo by Yuri Herrera <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer finished reading Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 11, 2024 10:36AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer is currently reading Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 09, 2024 01:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer finished reading Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 09, 2024 01:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Diane Lefer is currently reading Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 04, 2024 11:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Un lugar soleado para gente sombría by Mariana Enriquez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">