I am Phil. I used to be a middle school teacher in the New York City Public Schools. Now I write books for kids. I get to travel around the country in order to visit schools and talk to students about my books and writing. How lucky can one person be? I live in Brooklyn, New York in a killer loft in Clinton Hill. Before Brooklyn, I lived in Manhattan for over a decade, mostly in the West Village. And before that, I grew up on Long Island (but I like to keep that on the dl). I mos def like to have a good time. I'm incredibly active. I'm a gym-junkie. I like to go running and do pretty much anything outdoors. I used to play hoops 24/7, but unfortunately, the legs don't allow me to do the things I was once able to do. I live with my boyfriend of fourteen years. He likes to have almost as much fun as I do. Like me, he's a big kid. I've never met anyone so genuine and so real in my entire life. He has the kindest heart and the most gentle soul. He's beautiful, expressive and a freakin' riot. Welcome to my world!