Frank L. Cioffi

Frank L. Cioffi was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Northwestern University and Indiana University. His first book is entitled "Formula Fiction," and analyzes science fiction of the 1930s. His subsequent books are from Princeton University Press and include "The Imaginative Argument: A Practical Manifesto for Writers" (now in a 2nd edition), and "One Day in the Life of the English Language: A Microcosmic Usage Handbook." He has taught English at Indiana University, Eastern New Mexico University, the University of Gdansk (in Poland, as a Fulbright Scholar), Central Washington University, Princeton University, Bard College, Scripps College, and Baruch College-CUNY, where he is now a full professor. He has also written poetry, plays, memoirs, and novels. He is an avid exerciser, wears a Fitbit, and loves to bicycle, particularly up long hills. He collects stamps, typewriters, and mechanical wrist watches. He is, sadly, a Mets fan, and has been since 1962, a season during which the Mets lost more games than any team in history. He is often confused with his uncle, also named Frank Cioffi, who was a philosopher specializing in Freud and Wittgenstein. His late twin brother was also a professor, at the University of New Hampshire. Frank is married and lives in New Jersey with his wife, Kathleen Cioffi, who is also an author.