Tools such as counter-propagating optical tweezers are allowing researchers to manipulate single proteins and nucleic acids with ever higher spatial and temporal resolution. However, our ability to interpret the data collected from single-molecule experiments is still only rudimentary since many take place very far from equilibrium. Fortunately, several theoretical results from nonequilibrium thermodynamics that were long-held to be untestable curiosities make it possible to extract thermodynamic parameters from nonequilibirum experiments. The aim of my talk is to provide an overview of research at the intersection of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and single molecule biophysics. I will conclude with a survey of open problems in the field.