Martin Yoseloff was born on July 26, 1919 in Sioux City, Iowa. His family moved to Spirit Lake, then Mason City, Iowa. After attending Mason City High School, Yoseloff attended the University of Iowa, where he majored in journalism. At the University of Iowa, he wrote feature articles for the Daily Iowan while pursuing graduate studies. He received his B.A. in 1941.

He went on to serve on the editorial staffs of several New York publishing houses before his army service, 1943 -1946. His first book, No Greener Meadows, a recollection of an Iowa childhood, was published in 1946 and was written while he was in the transportation corps. He worked again at publishing houses in New York from 1947-1949. After this he devoted his life to writing and teaching. He died on March 27, 1997 in New York City.

His writing is often about lonely people trying to find meaning and fulfillment in their lives.