American essayist and novelist. Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Eighner attended the University of Texas, in Austin, where he now lives. A self-described "skeptical Democrat," Eighner has worked in hospitals and drug-crisis programs despite ongoing struggles with illness and homelessness. His book Travels with Lizbeth (1993), which describes his three years of surviving on the streets with his dog, was a best seller. He has also published Elements of Arousal (1994), a how-to guide on writing gay erotica, and the comic novel Pawn to Queen Four (1995), about the gay subculture of a Texas town. See also larseighner.com.