Turning to Birds

“By turns introspective, inquisitive, and funny, the book is a love letter to nature and the solace it can provide.”—The New Yorker“Lili Taylor has always been such a wonderful actor to watch—perhaps partly because of the watchful quality she so often brings to her characters… . In Turning to Birds, Taylor brings that sharp eye to her own backyard, chronicling her own pleasure at observing the birds at play there. Her enchantment by the various feathered beings whose lives she witnesses may be catching.”—The Boston Globe“Lili Taylor is an actor I’ve long been in awe of, and now I know why her work has always been soulful and painfully honest. Turning to Birds is a treasure map to Lili’s inner life and a scripture in how to be truly mindful.”—Griffin Dunne, actor, director, and author of The Friday Afternoon Club“What can an actor—even a consummate one like Lili Taylor—tell us about birding? Plenty, as she brings her profession’s keen observation skills to Turning to Birds, exploring what our feathered marvels can mean to us people. You couldn’t ask for a more personal, accessible approach to the pastime we all love (or will, by the end of this book).”—Christian Cooper, author of Better Living Through Birding“If you are wondering what this hobby called ‘birding’ is, why so many people are attracted to it, or how one becomes a birder, wonder no more! In Turning to Birds, Lili Taylor answers these questions with flair, insight, and wisdom.”—Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope“In a series of lively essays, Taylor dives into her experiences with birds and birding … [and] takes the reader along on her journey of discovery… . [She] is a wonderful ambassador for our feathered kin.”—Booklist, starred review“Infectiously exuberant … A delightful celebration of the joys of birding—and how it leads one to look at the world in a new light.”—Kirkus Reviews

Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and theater actor. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance. Lili nests in Brooklyn and upstate New York with her husband, the memoirist and poet Nick Flynn, and their daughter.