44 Facts About Fran Lebowitz

Frances Ann Lebowitz is an American author, public speaker, and actor.

Fran Lebowitz is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York City sensibilities and her association with many prominent figures of the New York art scene of the 1970s and 1980s, including Andy Warhol, Martin Scorsese, Jerome Robbins, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, Candy Darling, and the New York Dolls.

Fran Lebowitz has been the subject of two projects directed by Martin Scorsese, the HBO documentary film Public Speaking, and the Netflix docu-series Pretend It's a City.

Fran Lebowitz's parents were Ruth and Harold Lebowitz, who owned Pearl's Upholstered Furniture, a furniture store and upholstery workshop.

Fran Lebowitz developed a love of reading from an early age, to the point that she would surreptitiously read during class and neglect her homework.

Fran Lebowitz did not have a bat mitzvah, but did go to Sunday school until 15 and had a confirmation.

Fran Lebowitz was a poor student overall, particularly in algebra, which she failed six times.

Fran Lebowitz has called it "the first thing which they presented to me that I absolutely could not understand at all, and had no interest in understanding".

Fran Lebowitz's grades were so poor that her parents enrolled her in The Wilson School, a private girls' Episcopal school, in Mountain Lakes, where her grades marginally improved but she had difficulty following the rules and was eventually expelled for "nonspecific surliness".

Fran Lebowitz was suspended from Morristown High School for sneaking out of pep rallies.

Fran Lebowitz stayed for six months, and then in 1969 moved to New York City.

Fran Lebowitz's father agreed to pay for her first two months in the city on the condition that she live at the women's-only Martha Washington Hotel.

Fran Lebowitz then stayed with friends in New York apartments and Boston college dormitories, surviving by writing papers for students.

At age 21, Fran Lebowitz worked for Changes, a small magazine "about radical-chic politics and culture" founded by Susan Graham Ungaro, the fourth wife of Charles Mingus.

Fran Lebowitz sold advertising space, and then wrote book and movie reviews.

Years later, The Fran Lebowitz Reader was published, which included both books.

Since the mid-1990s, Fran Lebowitz has been known for her decades-long writer's block.

Fran Lebowitz's last published book was Mr Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas, a children's book about giant pandas living in New York City who long to move to Paris.

Since that time, Fran Lebowitz has worked on various book projects that have not been completed.

Fran Lebowitz is known for her clever quips and observational humor on a range of topics, including New York City, gentrification, art, literature, and politics.

Fran Lebowitz typically wears men's suit jackets, white shirts, cowboy boots, Levi's jeans, and tortoiseshell glasses.

Fran Lebowitz often speaks of her treasured pearl-grey 1979 Checker cab, the only car she has ever owned, which she describes as "the only monogamous relationship I've ever had in my life".

In September 2007, Fran Lebowitz was named one of the year's most stylish women in Vanity Fair's 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List.

Fran Lebowitz is known for her massive book collection, 10,000 volumes in all, including at least one shelf of soap-carving books, and her refusal to use many technologies, including cellphones and computers.

Fran Lebowitz has not otherwise used drugs or alcohol since she was 19, which she says is because she reached her "lifetime supply" of both by that age.

In 2010, Fran Lebowitz was introduced to a new generation of audiences, when she was featured in the Public Speaking, an HBO documentary about her directed by Martin Scorsese that contains interviews and clips from her speaking engagements.

Fran Lebowitz discussed her years-long writer's block, which she jokingly called a "writer's blockade".

Fran Lebowitz made an appearance as a judge in Scorsese's 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.

Fran Lebowitz collaborated with Scorsese again on the 2021 Netflix series Pretend It's a City, in which Scorsese interviews her about New York City and other subjects.

Fran Lebowitz has been critical of the gentrification and changing culture of New York City.

Fran Lebowitz explained that the main difference between "Old New York" and "New New York" is the influence and dominance of the culture of money.

Fran Lebowitz has been critical of the large numbers of wealthy people in New York City, as she believes they do not create anything of value but only consume things.

Fran Lebowitz has discussed the impact that the epidemic in New York had on American culture.

In 1987, Fran Lebowitz published a piece in The New York Times titled "The Impact of AIDS on the Artistic Community".

Fran Lebowitz identifies as a liberal Democrat and is often critical of moderate Democratic politicians and policy.

Fran Lebowitz has been a vociferous critic of the Republican Party for many years and more recently of President Donald Trump.

Fran Lebowitz has said that Trump's appeal to his voters is "racism, pure and simple," and described Trump campaign rallies as reminiscent of those held by the Ku Klux Klan and George Wallace.

Fran Lebowitz has said she believes the Second Amendment has been misinterpreted, and guarantees individuals the right not to bear arms but rather to form militias.

In May 2019, Fran Lebowitz jokingly suggested on Real Time with Bill Maher that Trump should suffer the same fate as Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post columnist who the CIA and multiple other intelligence agencies believe was tortured and assassinated by Saudi operatives on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's orders.

Fran Lebowitz walked back her comments later in the program.

Fran Lebowitz is open about her personal life and is a lesbian.

Fran Lebowitz has spoken about having difficulty with romantic relationships.

Fran Lebowitz is "famously resistant to technology", having no cellphone, computer, or typewriter.

Fran Lebowitz is blind in her right eye, a condition she was born with.