Allison is the son of a marine biologist. He grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, then later moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he attended Evanston Township High School. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1979, then studied playwriting at The Juilliard School. His debut novel, Christopher, was a finalist for the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award in Fiction. By: Allison Burnett
