Featured Writer: Fran Lebowitz

By Ashley Peng, 2026

Published 11/26/23

Characters are people we see in books and movies, people with golden personalities or villainous desires. The author Fran Lebowitz, though, is the perfect characterization of a character, known for her cigarettes, uniform of Savile Row suits and her New York disposition. 

Since the 1970’s, Lebowitz has been a publicly known spectator of life. Her popularity came through written columns in Mademoiselle and Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. These columns and essays have also been collected into two books, 1978’s Metropolitan Life and 1981’s Social Studies, now combined into The Fran Lebowitz Reader. Written in tones of amused boredom and sarcastic wit, Lebowitz expressed keen social opinions and commentary, resulting in quotes such as “As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you,” and “Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.” She gained even more fame by being aligned with the New York’s art scene at the time, being friends or being associated with figures such as Andy Warhol, Martin Scorsese, Toni Morrison, and the short-lived Studio 54. Despite this, Lebowitz has had writer’s block since the 1990’s, her last publication being the children’s book Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas. In the time since, she has retained her prominence by public speaking and making television appearances. She’s made appearances on David Letterman, Law & Order, and various Martin Scorsese-led projects, including a cameo in The Wolf of Wall Street and a starring role in the documentary series, Pretend It’s a City. As a public speaker, Lebowitz tours internationally, often speaking in an interview for a short time span and then spending an hour or more taking audience questions. She has been quoted saying that public speaking is her favorite activity, as it allows her to give her opinion without others interrupting her, expressing thoughts on anything from New York City in the 1970’s, her own 1950’s suburban upbringing, or even the country’s political and social climate. In a time where so much of our world is constantly changing, Fran Lebowitz is a true symbol of the good in our past, using her infinite observations of her life to remark on life today.