https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/08/famed-oakland-novelist-and-lesbian-activist-elana-dykewomon-dies-minutes-before-start-of-first-play/

Elana Dykewomon, the trailblazing lesbian writer and activist, died at her Oakland home Sunday, just 20 minutes before the start of a staged reading of her first play, a moving account of her struggle to care for her longtime partner who died of dementia nearly six years earlier.

Dykewomon, 72, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in September, her brother, Dan Nachman said. In recent weeks, she continued to work via Zoom with the director and cast of “How to Let Your Lover Die” to prepare it for its inclusion in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, an annual event that showcases new works.