Hayter was born in Pouce Coupe, British Columbia and grew up in Edmonton, Alberta.
At the time of the Afghan civil war, she moved to Pakistan and then went along with the Mujahedin to Afghanistan, reporting for the Toronto Star.
She moved briefly to Tokyo, then on her return to New York divorced and went to live in the famous Chelsea Hotel.
In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "flat-out funny, audacious, and a little bit weird, Hayter stakes out territory all her own.
"[3] She wrote pieces for the New York Times Op-Ed Page, The Nation and The Globe and Mail, was a regular participant on CNN's talk show "CNN & Company" and 'also appeared on Good Day New York, NPR, CBC, BBC and Paris Premiere.