Diane Ackerman

Diane Ackerman is an author, poet, and naturalist known for her nonfiction works, which include the best-selling "An Alchemy of Mind" (2004) and "The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story" (W.W. Norton, 2007). Her essays about nature and human nature have appeared in The New York Times, "Parade," and "The New Yorker," among other journals. She is the recipient of many prizes and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Burroughs Nature Award, and the Lavan Poetry Prize. She has the rare distinction of having a molecule -- dianeackerone -- named after her. She lives in upstate New York.

Previous National Book Festival Appearances

• 2007 Book Festival Webcast