David Lipsky was born in New York City on July 20, 1965. He received a B.A. from Brown University in 1987 and an M.A. in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University. He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone Magazine. His work has also appeared in numerous publications including The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Magazine Writing, The New York Times, and The New York Times Book Review. He contributes as an essayist to NPR's All Things Considered and teaches creative writing at the M.F.A. program at New York University. His books include The Art Fair, Three Thousand Dollars, and Absolutely American.