Do a web search on Fran Lebowitz, humorist and essayist. You'll tend to find one of three things in decreasing order of frequency: Various websites dedicated to quotes upon quotes (as her writing lends itself to quotation), solicitations from Amazon or B&N for her book, and the odd essay, penned by or about her.

But, I've been checking for quite a few years now, and to this date (January of 2003) I have yet to see a dedicated website, aside from her bio at the William Morris Agency. There are probably many reasons for this. Here are three, off the top of my head.

1. To date, she has only penned three books - not exactly what one could call "prolific"
2. Some resent her status as an author, often using terms as "overrated" for the adulation she's received as someone who's only written three books.
3. People just don't get it. (Occam's Razor - never leave home without it.)

So, here's my humble offering.

Quotes

Ok, we'll get these out of the way first - my favorite witty Fran Lebowitz quotes. I purposely avoided listing the multitude of quote sites out there, but prolonged exposure to them infected me. There were just too many. I'm willing to bet between all those quote websites, one could probably reconstruct The Fran Lebowitz Reader, much in the same way one can come pretty close to reconstructing the Old Testament with the various people who quote it in the New.

These are from Reader, which is actually comprised of her first two collections of essays, Metropolitan Life (hereafter, ML) and Social Studies (SS).

Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not possibly have met.
SS: "People"

Spilling your guts is exactly as charming as it sounds.
SS: "People"

Ask your child what he wants for dinner ony if he's buying.
SS: "Parental Guidance"

If you are of the opinion that the contemplation of suicide is sufficient evidence of a poetic nature, do not forget that actions speak louder than words.
ML: "Letters"

The girl in your class who suggests that this year the Drama Club put on The Bald Soprano will be a thorn in people's sides all of her life.
SS: "Tips for Teens"

I love sleep because it is both pleasant and safe to use. Pleasant because one is in the best possible company and safe because sleep is the consummate protection against the unseemliness that is the invariable consequence of being awake. What you don't know won't hurt you. Sleep is death without the responsibility.
ML: "Why I Love Sleep"

An editorial submitted to ABC News
On Race
A mini-bibliography

Thomas Beller - This page is an index of interviews. Click on the appropriate link.
Stephen Drucker for Mirabella Magazine
E. Jean Carroll for Outside Magazine - Fran on a camping excursion
E. Jean Carroll for Playboy Magazine - And no, it's not on Playboy's site
Terry Gross for NPR's Fresh Air - This link is in real audio.
Orion's The Millennium Project four part video essay - Video snippets requiring Quicktime.
David Savage for Index Magazine
David Schmader on theStranger.com
Kurt Thometz for the Private Library on Connoisseur Web - Check out some of the other interviews he has on there, too.
WNET's New York: A Documentary Film interview - On the subject of New York by a New Yorker

A caricature of Fran by Robert Risko

Envisioned: 8/1/01 (actually, way before that)
Unearthed, Edited, & Finally Posted: 1/2003
Copyright © 2003, Warm Fuzzy Freudian Slippers, Ltd.