Lebowitz, Fran

Frances Ann Lebowitz (; born October 27, 1950) is an American writer, public speaker, cultural critic, and actor. She is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life, particularly from a New York City perspective, and for her association with prominent figures in the city's art and cultural scenes during the 1970s and 1980s. Lebowitz gained prominence with her books Metropolitan Life (1978) and Social Studies (1981), which are collected in The Fran Lebowitz Reader (1994). Lebowitz first became known as a writer in Manhattan's downtown art scene in the 1970s and later became an internationally sought-after public speaker and media personality. She has been the subject of two projects directed by Martin Scorsese: the HBO documentary film Public Speaking (2010) and the Netflix documentary series Pretend It's a City (2021).