Theodore Porter "Tad" Friend (born September 25, 1962) is a staff writer for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' who writes the magazine's "Letter from California".

Life

Born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, Friend was raised there and in

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Swarthmore ( , ) is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Swarthmore was originally named Westdale in honor of painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to Swarthmore after ...

, where his father, Theodore Friend, was president of

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...

. He was educated at The Shipley School and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. Friend was a contributing editor at various publications, including ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', prior to becoming a staff writer at ''

'' in 1998. His work there includes the magazine's "Letter from California". In 2001, he published "Lost in Mongolia: Travels in Hollywood and Other Foreign Lands", a collection of his articles. His memoir, ''Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor,'' was published in 2009. Friend is married to food writer Amanda Hesser, with whom he has twin children. He lives in

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south ...

Bibliography

Books

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Interviews

Notes

External links

Column archive
, ''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Friend, Tad 1962 births Living people 20th-century American writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male journalists Harvard University alumni Writers from Buffalo, New York Journalists from Buffalo, New York The New Yorker staff writers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American male writers People from Brooklyn Heights People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania Shipley School alumni 21st-century American male writers