Fran Lebowitz (1951-)

Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz (born October 27, 1950) is an American author. Born and raised in Morristown, New Jersey, Lebowitz is best 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. Lebowitz is of Jewish descent.

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.

Success didn't spoil me; I've always been insufferable.

The opposite of talking isn't listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.

All God's children are not beautiful. Most of God's children are, in fact, barely presentable.

Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.