Monica Drake, born in Lansing, Michigan, is a renowned American fiction writer celebrated for her distinct novels, Clown Girl and The Stud Book. Clown Girl not only earned a finalist spot for the 2007 Ken Kesey Award for the Novel through the Oregon Book Awards but also garnered the title of Best Book of 2007 by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club, in the December 2007 issue of Playboy Magazine. The film rights for Clown Girl were optioned by actress and comedian Kristen Wiig, highlighting the novel's impact and appeal.

Her next novel, The Stud Book, drew attention for its unique "dead girl shots game" and Drake's critical commentary on the prevalent television trope of the dead bodies of women. Despite its slow start and some off-putting qualities, The Stud Book was described as "mesmerizing" by The Oregonian.

Drake's involvement in the literary community extends beyond her writing. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter and serves as a faculty member in the writing program at Pacific Northwest College of Art. Her educational background includes graduating from the University of Arizona's MFA program in creative writing.

In 2018, Drake expanded her oeuvre with The Folly of Loving Life, reading excerpts from this new book on Storytellers Telling Stories, accompanied by singer-songwriter Katelyn Convery, further showcasing her versatility and depth as an author.