Biography

Joe Klein joined TIME magazine in January 2003 to write a regular column on national and international affairs.

His column, titled "In the Arena," appears in TIME's upfront "Notebook" section. Klein is a senior writer based in New York and Washington, D.C.

Klein joins a roster of columnists and essayists for TIME including Margaret Carlson, Michael Kinsley, Charles Krauthammer, Joel Stein and Andrew Sullivan.

As "Anonymous," Klein wrote the critically acclaimed novel "Primary Colors," a best-seller inspired by the 1992 political race. Klein more recently wrote "The Natural: Bill Clinton's Misunderstood Presidency," published last March. His second political novel, "The Running Mate," was published in 2000. His two other nonfiction books are "Payback: Five Marines After Vietnam" (1984) and "Woody Guthrie: A Life" (1980).

Klein will remain an occasional contributor to The New Yorker, where he had been Washington correspondent since December 1996. He has written articles and book reviews for The New Republic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, LIFE, Rolling Stone and other publications.

Klein wrote a column called "Public Lives" for Newsweek in the early 1990s; served as a consultant for CBS News providing commentary (1992-1996); was political columnist for New York magazine (1987-1992); was a reporter for WGBH-TV Boston (1972) and news editor at The Real Paper (1972-1974). He was a contributing editor for Rolling Stone (1975-1980), and served as its Washington bureau chief (1975-1977).

Klein graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with a degree in American civilization. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a former Guggenheim fellow. He lives with his wife and two children in Westchester County, New York, and is also the father of two adult sons.