Diane Ackerman (born October 7, 1956) is an American author, poet, and naturalist known best for her work A Natural History of the Senses. Her writing style, referring to her best-selling natural history books, can best be described as a blend of poetry, colloquial history, and easy-reading science. She has taught at various universities, including Columbia and Cornell, and her essays regularly appear in distinguished popular and literary journals.

[b]Education[/b]

She was born in Waukegan, Illinois. She received her B.A. from Penn State and an M.F.A. and PhD from Cornell University in 1978. She is married to novelist Paul West and currently resides in upstate New York.


[b]Poetry[/b]

The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral (1976) Wife of Light (1978) Lady Faustus (1983) Jaguar of Sweet Laughter: New and Selected Poems (1991) "Reverse Thunder" (verse play) I Praise My Destroyer (1998) Origami Bridges (2002)


[b]Non-Fiction[/b]

* Twilight of the Tenderfoot (1980)
* On Extended Wings (1985)
* A Natural History of the Senses (1990)
* The Moon by Whale Light, and Other Adventures Among Bats and Crocodilains, Penguins and Whales (1991)
* A Natural History of Love (1994)
* The Rarest of the Rare (1995)
* A Slender Thread (1997)
* Deep Play (1999)
* "Cultivating Delight" (2002)
* An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain (2004)



[b]Children's[/b]

* Bats: Shadows in the Night
* Monk Seal Hideaway
* Animal Sense (poetry)

                       

Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ackerman