Harper is the youngest of four children. He is closest with his sister Maureen. First born Jolene, then Shane, Moe (who is married to his best friend Berkley), then Harper. He had a fairly uninteresting childhood. He got into art in high school and decided he wanted to make that his career. His high school sweet heart died and then everything fell apart. He started drinking and hearing voices. College was a little better for Harper and he met his best friends Berkley Hathway and Jameson Taylor. They have weekly poker games where they bet the most ridiculous things (like playing gay for 2 years, a bet that Harper fulfilled beautifully, until later when he fell in love with a guy and realized he was actually gay). Harper sought therapy for the voices and AA for the drinking, however, he had fallen off the wagon and the voices weren't far behind.

Harper used to work at Diamond Advertising Agency before a series of incidents that resulted in the death of his girlfriend Sam (who fell down the stairs in a blackout and broke her neck).

Harper had something of a nervous breakdown as a result. He drove to Texas to steal a bathtub Madonna (which he later altered so that it would look like Sam and showed in an art show called Broken Angels. He quit Diamond and pursued his art career more faithfully with success.

When he returned he started a peculiar friendship with Jon Fixmer (who had also been dating Sam and was quite a bit crazy himself). Their friendship turned into something more and Jon and Harper began to date.

Their relationship has been rocky at best. Jon suffers from severe schizophrenia which rears its ugly head every now and again. Coupled with Harper's own delusions and the two rack up more therapy bills than should be humanly possible. They've struggled through a lot of hard times, but their love is stronger than the problems their disorders seem to cause.

Harper lost his dad a few years ago to cancer. Jon and Evangeline kept him from losing his shit throughout the ordeal. Shortly after that was when his sister married his best friend Berkley.

Harper and Jon currently share an apartment in Manhatten with their two dogs, Viktor and Veronica.

Harper also has frequent visitations from his other best friend Angel Rothschild who travels from Pleasantview at least once a week to see him. They befriended one another in a doctor's office waiting room. Neither one can decide which of them is more fucked up, which is probably why they're such good friends.