It matters because of how much she helped me come out. I listened to her and she was a role model for me. So her writing advice was something I listened to and use myself. I clarified in my first post. (note her age does not matter so I did not put it in - nor did the fact she had not followed a traditional path- if there even is one- way of getting her phd)
The other reason it matters to me is that this was in the late 70s/early 80s and she was writing positive lesbian fiction while going up for tenure at a southern university - so for me, her ways of letting herself write without constant fear/self doubt of various factors -is something I admire and have tried to incorporate for myself.