Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Lyanda Lynn Haupt is a non-fiction writer. Trained in both philosophy and natural history, Haupt received an MA in the Philosophy of Science from Colorado State University with an emphasis in ornithology. Her first book, Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds (Sasquatch Books, 2001) considers the relationship between humans, birds, and ecological understanding. Rare Encounters was featured as a Los Angeles Times “Discoveries” selection, an Utne Reader pick, and was a winner of the 2002 Washington State Book Awards. Her articles and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including Image, Open Spaces, Conservation Biology Journal, Wild Earth Journal, Birdwatcher’s Digest, and The Prairie Naturalist. Her second book, Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent, The Importance of Everything, and Other Lessons from Darwin’s Lost Notebooks, will be published by Little, Brown, and Company in March 2006. Haupt mines Darwin’s lesser-known writings from his early expedition aboard the Beagle and his travels up and down the coastline of South America, in order to illuminate the process of discovery that shaped Darwin’s vision.

As part of her Fellowship’s Meet the Artist requirements, Lyanda traveled to Jefferson Country Library in Port Hadlock. Thirty-five people joined in Haupt’s discussion of her recent book, Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent and the writing process. Port Hadlock is a community very interested in the arts in general and writing in particular, so there was lots of lively discussion during Haupt’s talk and in more intimate groups afterwards.

Artist’s Addenda: Lyanda Haupt’s Crow Planet was published by Little, Brown and Company, featuring illustrations by Daniel Cautrell*.