Frances Ann Lebowitz 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).