Considered one of the foremost American essayists and a central figure in the recent revival of interest in memoir writing, Phillip Lopate is known for his subtle and surprising essays. As both a writer and editor, Lopate has contributed significantly to discourse on creative nonfiction. The anthology he edited in 1994, The Art of the Personal Essay, helped contextualize the genre as part of a global tradition dating back to the classical period.

As a film critic, Lopate has written on movies for The New York Times, Vogue, Esquire, andFilm Quarterly, while his writings about architecture and urbanism have appeared inMetropolis, The New York Times, Double Take, and Preservation. Lopate has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and two grants from the National Endowment of the Arts.