An American author known for fiction written under the pseudonym of JT LeRoy, she was born Laura Albert. Her best-known works include The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (a short story collection) and Sarah (a novel about prostitution). The fictional Jeremiah "Terminator" LeRoy was supposedly involved in drug addiction and prostitution prior to becoming a writer; however, little is known of the early life of Laura Albert, the actual author of works credited to JT LeRoy.