Jayne Loader (born 1951) is an American director and writer. She co-directed The Atomic Cafe (1982) with Pierce Rafferty and Kevin Rafferty. She is the author of Between Pictures (1986, ISBN 0-312-91345-1), a novel, and Wild America (1989, ISBN 0-8021-1106-8), a collection of short stories. In 1995, Jayne created the CD-ROM and Website Public Shelter. From 1995 - 1997, she wrote World Wide Wench, one of the first blogs. Jayne Loader was the Co-Master of Quincy House, one of Harvard's twelve undergraduate houses, along with her husband, the astronomer Robert Kirshner, from 2001 - 2007. She lives in Friendship, Maine.
Ms. Loader was born in Weatherford, Texas. She moved to Fort Worth in 1956 and graduated from R.L. Paschal High School in 1969. In 1973, Ms. Loader graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, with a B.A. in American Studies. In 1976, she earned an M.A in American Culture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Ms. Loader was raised by her mother, Ethel McKinley Small, an office manager. Her father, Jay Gordon Loader, retired as Secretary-Treasurer of the Florida Power Corporation in St. Petersburg. Ms. Loader's parents attended the University of Alabama, where her father was drum major of the Million Dollar Band. During War II, Jay Loader was in the 10th Mountain Division. After the War, he was a professional roller skater who toured with Gloria Nord's revue, Skating Vanities.