Walter Norris Kirn is an American novelist, literary critic, and essayist, born on August 3, 1962. He is renowned for his contributions to literature with eight books, the most notable being Up in the Air, which was adapted into a film starring George Clooney.

Besides his novels, Kirn is a regular reviewer for The New York Times Book Review, with his work also appearing in prestigious publications such as The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Time, New York, GQ, and Esquire. He is an alumnus of Princeton University and furthered his education at Oxford University through a scholarship from the Keasby Foundation.