American author of Jewish descent, born in Newark, New Jersey. His parents, Queenie and Samuel Auster, were of Polish descent, and his father worked as a landlord. The family lived a simple middle-class life, but the marriage was unhappy. His mother was thirteen years younger at the time of marriage and the couple were largely strangers to one another. Queenie Auster wanted to leave her husband but stayed when she got pregnant with her son, Paul. Later, a sister, Janet, was also born. The sister suffered from psychological problems from an early age.