Tom Sinclair is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. He has lived through three major citywide blackouts, in 1965, 1977, and 2002. In his lifetime he has labored at many jobs, to wit: Messenger, file clerk, postal employee, mail room clerk, writer, reporter, editor, copywriter, public relations account executive, rock critic, and staff writer at Enterainment Weekly. He is presently employed as a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor, and doesn't necessarily rule out future careers. Says he: "I really liked writing a lot, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for messenger work."