Nachman was born January 13, 1938, to Leonard Calvert Nachman, a salesman and actor in the Little Theater movement, and Isabel (Weil) Nachman. He was a feature writer for the
New York Post from 1964–66 and a feature writer and TV critic for
New York Daily News from 1972–79, with a stop in the middle as columnist and film critic for the
Oakland Tribune. For a time he was best known for his syndicated humor columns, “Double Take” and “The Single Life.” In 1979, he joined The Chronicle as a columnist and theater critic, reviewing not just theater but also film, cabaret and comedy. He left the newspaper in 1993 but continued to be active, appearing on
KALW's radio show "Minds Over Matter." ==Career==