Laurie Colwin (June 14, 1944 – October 24, 1992) grew up in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the second child of Rita Estelle Colwin (née Wolfson) and Peter Colwin. In Philadelphia, she attended the Cheltenham High School, which inducted her posthumously into their Hall of Fame in 1999.

From a young age, Colwin was a prolific writer. Her work first appeared in The New Yorker, and in 1974 her first collection of short stories was published. She was a regular contributor to Gourmet magazine and had articles in Mademoiselle, Allure, and Playboy.

Colwin died unexpectedly in 1992 from heart-related complications at the age of 48. Her last two books, More Home Cooking and A Big Storm Knocked It Over, were published posthumously. She also appears in Nancy Crampton’s 2005 book of photography, Writers, which features Crampton’s portraits of various literary figures.