ˈaɪɚ wʌz bˈɔːɹn sɛptˈɛmbɚ twˈɛnti wˈʌn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt, ɪn kwˈɪnsi, mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts, ænd spˈɛnt hɜː tʃˈaɪldhʊd ɪn ʃˈɑːɹlət, vɜːmˈɔnt.
Ayer was born September 21, 1948, in Quincy, Massachusetts, and spent her childhood in Charlotte, Vermont.