Diane Ackerman
Author of The Zookeeper's Wife
About the Author
Diane Ackerman was born on October 7, 1948 in Waukegan, Illinois. She received a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University and her M.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. in English from Cornell University. Poet, author, educator, adventurer, and naturalist, she tries to bridge science and art in her show more writing, exploring questions of who we are, where we come from, and how we fit into the fabric of the world. She has written many books of poetry including The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral; Wife of Light; Jaguar of Sweet Laughter: New and Selected Poems; Origami Bridges: Poems of Psychoanalysis and Fire; and I Praise My Destroyer. Her nonfiction works include A Natural History of the Senses; A Natural History of Love; The Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Crocodilians, Penguins, and Whales; An Alchemy of Mind; and On Extended Wings. She also writes nature books for children including Animal Sense; Monk Seal Hideaway; and Bats: Shadows in the Night. She is coeditor of a Norton anthology, The Book of Love. Her essays about nature and human nature have appeared in Parade, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The New Yorker magazines. She hosted a five-hour PBS television series inspired by A Natural History of the Senses. She received the Orion Book Award for The Zookeepers Wife. Her other awards include the Abbie Copps Poetry Prize, Black Warrior Poetry Prize, Pushcart Prize, Peter I. B. Lavan award, and the Wordsmith award. She has taught at a variety of universities, including Columbia and Cornell. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Library of Congress
Works by Diane Ackerman
The Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales (1991) — Author — 463 copies
Associated Works
For the Love of Books: 115 Celebrated Writers on the Books They Love Most (1999) — Contributor — 447 copies
A Convergence of Birds: Original Fiction and Poetry Inspired by Joseph Cornell (2001) — Contributor — 191 copies
Writers on Writing, 2: More Collected Essays from the New York Times (2003) — Contributor — 183 copies
The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic (2007) — Contributor — 124 copies
Whoâs Writing This? Notations on the Authorial I, with Self-Portraits {not AntĂŠus} (1995) — Contributor — 73 copies
Blue Planet Run: The Race to Provide Safe Drinking Water to the World (2007) — some editions — 56 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Ackerman, Diane
- Other names
- Ackermann, Diane
- Birthdate
- 1948-10-07
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Waukegan, Illinois, USA
- Places of residence
- Ithaca, New York, USA
Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA - Education
- Pennsylvania State University (BA | 1970 - English)
Cornell University (MFA | 1973 | MA | 1976 | PhD | 1978 - English) - Occupations
- professor of English
naturalist
author
poet - Relationships
- West, Paul (husband) (1)
Sagan, Carl (doctoral advisor) - Organizations
- Authors Guild
Columbia University
Cornell University
The New Yorker
University of Pittsburgh - Awards and honors
- Guggenheim Fellowship
John Burroughs Nature Award
Lavan Poetry Prize
New York Public Library Literary Lion
Peter I. B. Lavan Younger Poets Award (1985)
Fellow, New York Institute for the Humanities (show all 7)
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2016) - Agent
- Suzanne Gluck (William Morris Agency)
Alison Granucci (Blue Flower Arts) - Short biography
- Diane Ackerman is the author of two dozen highly-acclaimed works of poetry and nonfiction, including the bestsellers "The Zookeeper's Wife" and "A Natural History of the Senses," and the Pulitzer Prize Finalist, "One Hundred Names for Love."
In her most recent book, "The Human Age: the World Shaped by Us," she confronts the unprecedented fact that the human race is now the single dominant force of change on the whole planet. Humans have "subdued 75 percent of the land surface, concocted a wizardry of industrial and medical marvels, strung lights all across the darkness." Ackerman takes us on an exciting journey to understand this bewildering new reality, introducing us to many of the inspiring people and ideas now creating, and perhaps saving, our future
A note from the author: "I find that writing each book becomes a mystery trip, one filled with mental (and sometimes physical) adventures. The world revealing itself, human nature revealing itself, is seductive and startling, and that's always been fascinating enough to send words down my spine. Please join me on my travels. I'd enjoy the company."
Contact me or follow my posts here: www.dianeackerman.com, @dianesackerman, www.facebook.com/dianeackerman.aut
Members
Reviews
Moon By Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among… by Diane Ackerman
A fine read. Not just nature facts, but a great job of bringing you right into nature. And all the while, a fine thread of conservation woven through by reasoning, not moralizing.
I thought the story was very moving and that the Zabinskis where very interseting people. I realize it is a true story but I wish it were written a little bit more like a novel and less like a History book. I would have liked to have heard more about this incredible family and the inhabitants of the villa rather than the events of the war, but at the end of the day I'm glad I read it.
After watching the movie, which I thought was excellent, I read the book, which I also thought was excellent, but not exactly what I thought it was going to be....just another historical novel.
This is actually a true story of the life of Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, written from the author's point of view, using Jan and Antonina's journals during World War II. It is evident that God must have placed them in just the right place to be able to hide and save hundreds of Jews from death. They also had the right temperament to pull it off.
A lot of research went into their story as the author seamlessly intertwined quotes from their journals and at the same time adding other stories in Warsaw as they unfolded. She also captured the family's love of animals so well. She personalized and gave life to this writing. You will even find a few family photos of Jan & Antonina. She did describe quite a few photos in the story that she had seen but weren't included in the book. I wonder where we can find those photos? If only all history could be told in this manner.
At the end of the book, the author lets you know what happens to Jan and Antonina, and her family, as well as a few other people, after the war. She was also able to travel back to Warsaw and see some of the damage that still remains today, and writes of how they have progressed in building back the city and capital of Poland.… (more)
This is actually a true story of the life of Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, written from the author's point of view, using Jan and Antonina's journals during World War II. It is evident that God must have placed them in just the right place to be able to hide and save hundreds of Jews from death. They also had the right temperament to pull it off.
A lot of research went into their story as the author seamlessly intertwined quotes from their journals and at the same time adding other stories in Warsaw as they unfolded. She also captured the family's love of animals so well. She personalized and gave life to this writing. You will even find a few family photos of Jan & Antonina. She did describe quite a few photos in the story that she had seen but weren't included in the book. I wonder where we can find those photos? If only all history could be told in this manner.
At the end of the book, the author lets you know what happens to Jan and Antonina, and her family, as well as a few other people, after the war. She was also able to travel back to Warsaw and see some of the damage that still remains today, and writes of how they have progressed in building back the city and capital of Poland.… (more)
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since I read A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman. In her latest work The Human Age she talks about how much we have changed and shaped the world in just a short period of time. The change has indeed been vast and continues to accelerate. But one thing that hasn't changed is how wonderful Ackerman writes. I simply can not think of another author who waxes so poetic while writing about science. With each page I'm enthralled by both the beauty and brilliance of her words. By all means, read this book. And be prepared, to be not just richly educated, but totally amazed.… (more)
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