Rita Mae Brown was born on November 28, 1944, in Hanover, and is a citizen of the United States. She has worked across multiple literary and dramatic forms, producing novels, screenplays, plays, poetry, and autobiography, all in English. Her education took her through several institutions, including Fort Lauderdale High School, the University of Florida, New York University, the School of Visual Arts, and Union Institute & University, a path that carried her through both the American South and the urban Northeast.

Brown has been active as a feminist and an LGBTQ rights activist, and her writing is associated with the lesbian feminism movement. Her notable works span a range of genres, from the novel Rubyfruit Jungle to mystery fiction titles such as Loose Lips and Bingo, and include Southern Discomfort, Six of One, and Venus Envy. Her output extends to screenplays, reflecting her work as a screenwriter alongside her other literary pursuits. Outside of writing, she has also pursued polo as a player, demonstrating a range of interests that extends well beyond the literary world.

Brown is a living figure in American letters whose roles have encompassed novelist, poet, playwright, prose writer, and autobiographer. Her career has moved through feminist advocacy, genre fiction, and dramatic writing, with her creative output encompassing both literary and popular forms. Her notable work Rubyfruit Jungle, along with her association with the lesbian feminism movement, remains among the concrete anchors of her public record.