Writer, Teacher, Social Activist. She was considered a pioneer of lesbian-themed books and was a prominent voice for women's and gay rights for nearly fifty years. Also she was a generous mentor to many young Canadian writers, poets and artists. Born Jane Vance Rule in Plainfield, New Jersey, she moved around the United States with her family to several military bases during World War II before settling in the San Francisco Bay area. She graduated with B.A. in English literature from Mills College (Oakland) in 1952. While teaching at Concord Academy (Massachusetts) in 1954 she met her lifelong partner, author/educator Helen Sonthoff, then a creative writing and literature teacher. She moved to Vancouver in 1956, received Canadian citizenship in the early 1960s and taught periodically at the University of British Columbia before moving in 1976 to Galiano Island, BC. Her first novel, "Desert of the Heart", was completed in 1961 and published three years and 22 rejections later. The story of a positive, gentle romance between two women in 1950s America was considered groundbreaking at the time. It was made into a film, "Desert Hearts", in 1985. Later novels include "This is Not for You", "Against the Season", "The Young in One Another's Arms" and "Memory Board". In all she authored a dozen books, including three short story collections, and was a contributor to various mainstream publications. She also wrote a regular column, "So's Your Grandmother", for the landmark gay liberationist newspaper "The Body Politic" from 1979 to 1985. Despite suffering severe arthritis in her spine and neck in her last three decades, she continued to write until her death. Jane was invested in the Order of British Columbia in 1998 and as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007. She died at her home on Galiano Island from complications of liver cancer at age 76.