“This is a heartbreaking loss for all of us at NPR, our member stations and the millions of listeners in the public radio family. Petra’s passion for her work, her love for her colleagues and her “Gov. The joy of sharing books with radio listeners has had a lasting impact. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends,” NPR said in a statement Sunday.
Social media held a virtual vigil for Mayer on Sunday, with friends, colleagues and longtime NPR listeners and readers expressing their grief.
“She was a strong advocate for deep culture as well as book and literature coverage on NPR,” NPR television critic Erig Diggins said in an interview with CNN. “And we are all shocked and saddened by his sudden death. A great bright light in our department who has gone too soon and too unexpectedly.
Mayer, a proud and self-proclaimed geek, has contributed to NPR’s Book Concierge and will be a guest chair on the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He joined the book team in 2012, according to NPR.
“She was brilliantly smart, sarcastic and just made your day better. She was a passionate voice about gendered content that NPR will miss as a pain,” Weldon said.
Previously, Mayer was a producer and associate director of “All Things Considered” Weekend and a production assistant for “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition Saturday.” He attended Amherst University and received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.