One of the things I learned from my father, and it did not serve me well at all, was that he was a successful writer, he earned a living. And it was a shock for me to find out that it was actually hard to make a living as a writer.

Personal life and education
Tolkin was born in New York City New York the son of Edith (née Leibovitch) a studio executive and film industry lawyer and the late comedy writer Mel Tolkin. Tolkin lives in Los Angeles with his wife Wendy Mogel (parenting expert and author of bestseller The Blessing of a Skinned Knee). Tolkin (born October 17 1950) is an American filmmaker and novelist.

Michael L. Tolkin (born October 17 1950) is an American filmmaker and novelist.