Lisa Birnbach

writer

Lisa Birnbach first struck a chord with the American public as the editor and co-author of the 1980 phenomenon *The Official Preppy Handbook*, which spent an impressive 38 weeks at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and sold 1.3 million copies. It also spawned a cultural revolution of sorts and was the inspiration for J. Crew, the favorite store of First Preppy Michelle Obama. Since then Birnbach has written for numerous publications including *The New York Times* and *Rolling Stone*, and is currently a contributing editor for *Parade*. She was the deputy editor of *SPY* magazine, and has authored or co-authored more than 21 books, including *40% Off is the New Black!* She has appeared on *Late Night with Conan O'Brien*, *The Today Show*, and *Politically Incorrect*. Her new book, *True Prep*, a collaboration with renowned graphic designer Chip Kidd, looks at how "the old guard of natural-fiber-loving, dog-worshipping, G&T-soaked preppies adapts to the new order of the Internet, cell phones, rehab, political correctness, reality TV and . . . polar fleece."