Diane Ackerman

Author, poet, and naturalist · United States · On the map · Writers · Born 1948 · age 78

Diane Ackerman is an American poet, essayist, and naturalist known for her books and films.

Diane Ackerman is read about 46 times a day, in 26 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 11 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 113 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2011“What would dawn have been like, had you awakened? It would have sung through your bones. All I can do this morning is let it sing through mine.”In their wordsSilence and AwakeningRead the whole statement

2002“I plan my garden as I wish I could plan my life, with islands of surprise, color, and scent. A seductive aspect of gardening is how many rituals it requires.”In their words(2002 pbk edition of 2001 hbk edition)Read the whole statement

1994“When art separates this thick tangle of feelings, love bares its bones.”In their wordsA Natural History of Love (1994)Read the whole statement

1991“I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to live the width of it as well.”In their wordsAs quoted in Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much (1991) by Anne Wilson SchaefRead the whole statement

1990“Why humans feel pain has been the subject of theological debate, philosophical schisms, psychoanalytical edicts, and mumbo jumbo for centuries.”In their wordsChapter 2 “Touch” (p. 106; ellipsis represents the elision of the etymology of the word "pain")Read the whole statement

“We tend to see our distant past through a reverse telescope that compresses it: a short time as hunter-gatherers, a long time as "civilized" people.”In their wordsChapter 3 “Taste” (pp. 129-130)Read the whole statement

1948Born7 October 1948

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Diane Ackerman

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Diane Ackerman

4 statements, newest first

Human beings are sloshing sacks of chemicals on the move.
2004 · An Alchemy of Mind : The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain (2004), Own words
We think of it as a sort of traffic accident of the heart. It is an emotion that scares us more than cruelty, more than violence, more than hatred.
1994 · A Natural History of Love (1994), Own words
What I’m really wondering is why notices were posted and invitations sent out at all: If it’s a psychics’ convention, shouldn’t everyone just know where and when to meet?
1990 · Chapter 2 “Touch” (p. 115), Own words