Jeff Gottesfeld is an American essayist, novelist, and screen and television writer.
He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, attended Teaneck High School, Colby College, and then the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he was president of his class and a member of the law review. But he only practiced law for less than a year before turning to publishing and writing as a career.
Gottesfeld has written freelance for numerous magazines and newspapers, and continues to publish essays on such subjects as the ongoing controversy over the Confederate flag, immigration policy, and trends in young adult fiction. Among his favorite authors are Carson McCullers, Flannery O'Connor, Herman Wouk, and George Orwell.
He is a former member of the executive board of the United Jewish Federation of Utah. He and his family have lived in Utah for several years, after a stint in Los Angeles.
He is the eldest of four children; father is a stockbroker and his mother a psychotherapist. He has been married to Cherie Bennett since 1990. They live in Salt Lake City with their son. His website is www.jeffgottesfeld.com