Christopher Lee Philips studied in the Institute of Humanities at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he wrote his graduate thesis on Vladimir Kirshon, a Soviet-era playwright who disappeared during Stalin's purges of the 1930s. Research for his thesis brought him to Washington, D.C. and the Library of Congress in an era when researchers could present their academic credentials and get a "stack pass" to explore the library's holdings independently. He has worked (albeit briefly) for the Washington Post, United Press International, and academic publisher Chadwyck-Healey. Currently a freelance writer and editor, he is also a member in good standing of SAG-AFTRA.