* Lexie Barnes, handbag designer, author, and director of Twist, a contemporary craft and art fair.
* Jesse Barrett-Mills, Independent Filmmaker
* Jeanne Birdsall, children's author, best known for her debut novel, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
* William Cullen Bryant, 19c author and newspaper editor
* Mary-Ellis Bunim, television producer and co-creator of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules
* Augusten Burroughs, author, his bestseller Running with Scissors describes his strange childhood in Northampton
* Paul Johnson Calderon, socialite, heir, and television personality best known for co-starring on The CW's High Society
* Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator
* Lydia Maria Child, authoress of the Thanksgiving poem "Over the River and Through the Woods"
* Chris Collingwood, lead singer of the band Fountains of Wayne
* Carol T. Christ, President of Smith College and Victorian Literature Scholar
* Calvin Coolidge; served as mayor of Northampton before becoming governor of Massachusetts and U.S. president
* Galaxy Craze, actress and author known for bestselling novel By the Shore.
* Bob Driscoll, Inventor of "Flash Scrabble" game - Hasbro, Inc.
* Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics from their Northampton studio
* Jonathan Edwards, 18c Congregational theologian, philosopher, leader of First Great Awakening and local pastor
* Anthony Giardina, author
* Herbert Gintis, economist[citation needed]
* Sylvester Graham, Vegetarian advocate and namesake of the Graham Cracker
* Jonathan Harr, author of the A Civil Action
* D. Dennis Hudson, emeritus professor and internationally known scholar of Indian religion
* Jonathan Hunt (Vermont Lieutenant Governor) (1738–1808), early Vermont pioneer, landowner, officeholder, born Northampton[23]
* Jeph Jacques, creator of webcomic Questionable Content
* Tracy Kidder, author
* Michael Klare, author, professor and defense correspondent for The Nation
* Griff Kohout, actor (Chuck; Some Guy Who Kills People)
* Jason Loewenstein, singer, songwriter with indie-rock bands Sebadoh and The Fiery Furnaces
* Elinor Lipman, author
* David Lyman, actor (Friday Night Lights; Funny Books)
* Rachel Maddow, radio personality, MSNBC television host, and liberal political commentator
* Ruth Romero ('13) Smith College student.
* Charles McCarry, author
* Stu Miller, Major League Baseball pitcher
* José Molina, Former member, USA national Indoor field hockey team
* William Monahan, novelist and screenwriter
* Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth
* Jo Newman, actress (Love and Other Drugs; Gossip Girl)
* Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies.[24]
* Nerissa Nields, folk musician, author, and member of the band The Nields
* Alix Olson, spoken word poet and owner of Subtle Sisters Productions
* David Pakman, host of the nationally syndicated political talk radio and TV program, "The David Pakman Show"
* Dr. Kyle Pruett author and child psychiatry expert
* Mary Rohlich, film and documentary producer on projects including Horrible Bosses and Freakonomics
* Jeffrey Rowland, creator of the webcomics Wigu and Overcompensating
* Liza Snyder, actress (Yes, Dear; Pay It Forward)
* Talisa Soto, actress
* Sherry Thomas, prominent Hollywood movie and television casting director
* Crystal Truehart, model and co-star on The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency
* Sojourner Truth, African American abolitionist and orator
* Kurt Vonnegut, author; died 2007
* Mo Willems, popular children's book author
* Dar Williams, popular musician.
* Andrew Zimbalist, prominent sports economist and father of Jeff and Michael Zimbalist
* Jeff Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker and Tribeca Film Festival award winner
* Michael Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker and brother of Jeff Zimbalist