David Markson was born in Albany, New York on December 20, 1927. He received an undergraduate degree from Union College and a master's degree from Columbia University. Besides being a writer, he also worked as a journalist, book editor, and periodically as a college professor at Columbia University, Long Island University, and The New School. His works include Epitaph for a Tramp; Epitaph for a Dead Beat; This Is Not a Novel; Springer's Progress; Wittgenstein's Mistress; and The Last Novel. His novel, The Ballad of Dingus Magee, was made into a film starring Frank Sinatra entitled Dirty Dingus Magee. He was found dead on June 4, 2010 at the age of 82.
Steven Moore earned his Ph.D. at Rutgers University. He is a noted William Gaddis scholar and wrote William Gaddis, the first comprehensive critical guide to his work, and A Reader's Guide to William Gaddis's The Recognitions. Moore has edited a number of books, including Beerspit Night and Cursing: The Correspondence of Charles Bukowski & Sheri Martinelli 1960-1967 and In Recognition of William Gaddis. He has also contributed essays, articles, and reviews to a number of newspapers, journals, and magazines.