Michael Dirda, a longtime writer and editor at The Washington Post Book World, received the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. His most recent books are: Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments, his memoir An Open Book, and, due out this fall, Bound to Please: Essays on Great Writers and Their Books. Dirda graduated from Oberlin College with Highest Honors in English and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in comparative literature from Cornell University. He's a member of the National Council of the Atlantic Center for the Arts, an invested member of the Baker Street Irregulars, and a frequent lecturer at schools and colleges.