Philip Harris owned the Open Mind Bookstore, which had been located on Beaver Street in Sewickley since 1994. Before the store closed in January of 2010, Philip was president of the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce, an office he held for four years. He brings an insider's view to the players and naysayers who make things happen in Sewickley Borough.

As a writer he has worked for Pittsburgh Magazine, the McKeesport Daily News, In Pittsburgh and the Sewickley Herald, among others. He worked for WQED-TV as a freelance writer/producer/on air personality for OnQ. Before his foray into the book biz, he was a songwriter/musician who gained notoriety in the Pittsburgh area as a member of new wave 80s dance band Hector in Paris and later with Hipster Dufus. He won a  In Pittsburgh Music Award in 1990.