Susan Orlean has been called a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and “a latter-day Tocqueville” by The New York Times. In both her work as a longtime New Yorker staff writer and her bestselling books (The Orchid Thief, The Library Book, On Animals, Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, and My Kind of Place), Orlean’s inspired powers of observation, her boundless curiosity, and her pitch-perfect and often joyful prose have made her one of America’s most celebrated nonfiction authors. Her work has inspired three films —Blue Crush, Little Wing, and Adaptation, which won multiple awards, including an Oscar and two Golden Globes. Orlean was co-host of the podcasts Crybabies and Book Exploder and writes the popular Substack column “Wordy Bird.” Her memoir, Joyride, will be released in September 2025.