“On some summer days in New York City, the air hangs thickly visible, like the combined exhalations of eight million souls. Steam rising from vents underground makes you wonder if there isn't one giant sweat gland lodged beneath the city.”

American poet, essayist, and naturalist

Diane Ackerman is an American poet, essayist, and naturalist known for her books and films. Her writing often moves between the literary and the scientific, reflecting a wide-ranging interest in the natural world. She has also worked in film, and her work is associated with careful observation, vivid language, and an interest in how people experience nature and the senses.