Martin Shepard was born in New York City in 1934. Originally trained as an artist and later a graduate of N.Y.U. Bellevue Medical School, he took residencies at both Hillside and Mt. Sinai Hospitals. He has worked as a stock clerk, salesman, waiter, truck driver, physician, politician, psychiatrist, college professor, writer and carpenter. Shepard has written several books which have been translated into Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese.