Suzannah Lessard, an American writer, died on January 29, 2026, of complications from endometrial cancer.
She was 81. Lessard was a staff writer for The New Yorker and one of the original editors of the Washington Monthly.
Over nearly 50 years as a writer and editor, she wrote two memoirs as well as reportorial pieces, essays and opinion pieces. She also taught at Columbia School of the Arts, Wesleyan University, The New School, George Mason University, George Washington University and Goucher College.
Suzannah Terry Lessard (December 1, 1944 – January 29, 2026) was an American writer of literary nonfiction. Lessard served as a staff writer for The New Yorker and one of the original editors of the Washington Monthly. Throughout her nearly 50 years as a writer and editor, Lessard wrote two memoirs, reportorial pieces, essays, and opinion pieces both personally and professionally.