I went to college at the University of Kansas, where I got a degree in political science.

In this straightforward autobiographical remark, Paretsky situates her education in political science at the University of Kansas as part of her formation before becoming known for crime fiction. The statement emphasizes institutional and disciplinary grounding rather than literary apprenticeship, hinting that her later interests—power, institutions, corruption, and social justice—could be informed by political analysis as much as by narrative craft. As a self-report of credentials, the line functions less as a crafted aphorism than as a factual anchor in an interview or profile, offering readers a concrete point of origin for her perspective and intellectual toolkit.