Early life and education

Rubin was born in Manhattan and raised in Westchester County, New York. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in history, graduating with honors in 1988. In 1991 he received a Master's in Creative Writing from Boston University, where he studied under Leslie Epstein.

Career

Rubin published his first short story, "November," in The Oxford American in 1995. That same year, he published several pieces in the "Talk of the Town" section of The New Yorker, including one about sledding down West End Avenue during the Blizzard of 1996. In July, 1996 he published his first essay in The Atlantic Monthly, "Welcome to Our Tomb," a meditation on Grant's Tomb and the unexpected things visitors write in the guest register there. The piece was republished in condensed form in Reader's Digest that December, under the title "What's Written in Grant's Tomb." Rubin would go on to write publish more than a dozen pieces in the Atlantic, most of them dealing with historical subjects or things that are about to disappear. One notable exception is "It's Radi-O!", a meditation on the significance of that medium. A piece for the Atlantic, "The Colfax Riot," appeared in the magazine's July/August 2003 issue. It is said to have been the inspiration for journalist Charles Lane's book on the same subject, "The Day Freedom Died." He has published stories in numerous publications, including a series of pieces in AARP Magazine. In 2007 he was an Op-Ed Contributor to the New York Times with his piece Over There ... and Gone Forever, about the one remaining living World War I soldier. He has been a visiting professor at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Currently he is finishing his newest book about America’s involvement in World War I.