Max Apple (born October 22, 1941) is an American short story writer, novelist, and university professor at The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Apple, who was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, received his B.A. (1963) and Ph.D (1970) from The University of Michigan. After teaching creative writing at Rice University in Houston, Texas for 29 years he retired briefly, only to resume teaching at The University of Pennsylvania. Along with his published novels and short story collections he has done work as a screenwriter including 1994's The Air Up There starring Kevin Bacon and Roommates (film) (based on his 1994 biography Roommates: My Grandfather's Story).