Fran Lebowitz
| Fran Lebowitz | |
|---|---|
 Lebowitz during the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, September 2011. |
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| Born | Frances Ann Lebowitz October 27, 1950 Morristown, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz (born October 27, 1950) is an American author. Lebowitz is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern-day Dorothy Parker.[citation needed]
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[edit] Life and career
Lebowitz was born and raised in Morristown, New Jersey,[1] in an "observant" Jewish family.[2]
After being expelled from high school and receiving a GED, Lebowitz worked many odd jobs before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for Interview. This was followed by a stint at Mademoiselle. Her first book was a collection of essays titled Metropolitan Life, released in 1978, followed by Social Studies in 1981, both of which are collected (with a new introductory essay) in The Fran Lebowitz Reader.
For more than twenty years she has been famous in part for writing Exterior Signs of Wealth, a long-overdue novel purportedly about rich people who want to be artists, and artists who want to be rich. She also made several appearances on Late Night With David Letterman during the early part of its run. Recently she has made recurring appearances as Judge Janice Goldberg on the television drama Law & Order. Lebowitz, herself a heavy smoker, is known for her advocacy of smokers' rights.[3][4][1]
In September 2007, Fran Lebowitz was named one of the year's most stylish women in Vanity Fair's 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List,[5] and she is known to sport tailored suits by the Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard. On November 17, 2010, Fran made a return appearance on Late Show With David Letterman after a 16-year absence. She discussed her years-long writer's block, which she jokingly referred to as "writer's blockade". On November 22, 2010, HBO debuted Public Speaking, a documentary about Lebowitz by Martin Scorsese containing interviews and clips from speaking engagements.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Morris, Bob (August 10, 1994). "At Lunch With: Fran Lebowitz; Words Are Easy, Books Are Not". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30810FC3C540C738DDDA10894DC494D81.
- ^ http://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?120302+talking
- ^ "VF editor gives up smoke fight". New York Post. February 19, 2005. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/795366101.html?dids=795366101:795366101&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+19%2C+2005&author=&pub=New+York+Post&desc=VF+EDITOR+GIVES+UP+SMOKE+FIGHT&pqatl=google.
- ^ http://cityfile.com/profiles/fran-lebowitz
- ^ The 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List: Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com
[edit] Books
- Metropolitan Life, Dutton, 1978. ISBN 9780525155621
- Social Studies, Random House, 1981. ISBN 9780394512457
- The Fran Lebowitz Reader, Vintage Books, 1994, ISBN 9780679761808
- Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas, Knopf, 1994. ISBN 9780679860525
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fran Lebowitz |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Fran Lebowitz |
- HBO Documentary Public Speaking, November 22, 2010
- profile at the William Morris Agency
- Index magazine interview
- Tips for Teens
- Interview with Fran Lebowitz
- James Linville and George Plimpton (Summer 1993). "Fran Lebowitz, A Humorist at Work". Paris Review. http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1931/a-humorist-at-work-fran-lebowitz.
- Black Book interview
- New York magazine interview
- The Onion A.V. Club interview
