"Polite conversation is rarely either." - Fran Lebowitz

Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz (b. 1950) is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life. She was born and raised in Morristown, New Jersey, and received a GED after being expelled from high school. She worked a variety of odd jobs before being hired by Andy Warhol in the early 1970s to write a column for Interview, a magazine he had recently founded with John Wilcock. From there she moved to Mademoiselle. She published her first collection of essays, Metropolitan Life, in 1978; and followed with a second collection, Social Studies, in 1981 (recently reissued as a single volume, The Fran Lebowitz Reader). She is also the author of Mr Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas, for younger readers.

She is known for wearing suits made by the Saville Row tailor Anderson & Shepherd; and, in 2007, was named one of the year's most stylish women by Vanity Fair. She has recently made recurring appearances on the TV series Law and Order as Judge Janice Goldberg.

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