Buzz Bissinger
Harry Gerard Bissinger III, also known as Buzz Bissinger and H. G. Bissinger (born November 1, 1954)[1] is an American journalist and author, best known for his 1990 non-fiction book Friday Night Lights. He is a longtime contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine. In 2019, HBO released a documentary on Bissinger titled “Buzz”.
Buzz Bissinger
Journalist
Early life and education[edit]
Born in New York, Bissinger is the son of Eleanor (née Lebenthal) and Harry Gerard Bissinger II.[2][3] His father was a former president of the municipal bond firm Lebenthal & Company. He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1972 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976, where he was a sports and opinion editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian.[4][5] He is the cousin of Peter Berg, who directed the film adaptation of Bissinger's book Friday Night Lights.[6]
Personal life[edit]
Bissinger has been married three times.[19][20]
Bissinger is married to Lisa C. Smith, a former Assistant Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi.[21] He has three sons.[22]
[23] A resident of Washington state, he divides his time between homes in Philadelphia and the Pacific Northwest.
In a column published in GQ, Bissinger states he is a shopaholic with an obsession for expensive designer clothes, spending $638,412.97 between 2010 and 2012.
Bissinger is addicted to both shopping and sex, and has been to therapy for both.[24] He has questioned his own sexuality as well as his gender preference.[25]
In 2013, Bissinger was awarded an honorary degree by Drexel University in recognition of his exceptional contributions as one of the “nation’s most honored and distinguished writers.” He has received numerous other awards for his writing.[26]