Phillip Lopate is an American essayist, novelist, poet, and film critic. He is the author of numerous books, including the essay collections Against Joie de Vivre and Portrait of My Body, the novels Confessions of Summer and The Rug Merchant, and the biographical essay collection Portrait Inside My Head. He is the editor of several anthologies, including The Art of the Personal Essay and Writing New York. He is a professor of creative writing at Columbia University.