Margie Patlak is an award-winning science and nature writer, memoirist, and photographer. Her memoir More Than Meets the Eye: Exploring Nature and Loss on the Coast of Maine (Down East Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) received an “Outstanding Book” award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Her essays have appeared in numerous literary journals and newspapers, including JuxtaProse, where her essay “Rock of Ages” received First Honorable Mention in the journal’s 2018 Creative Nonfiction Contest. Her flash essay “The River” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Margie’s photography also explores the natural world. Her photobook Wild and Wondrous: Nature’s Artistry on the Coast of Maine (Down East Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2023) showcases her images of Maine’s coastal landscapes. Her photographs have been exhibited in galleries throughout Maine and published in outlets including The Wall Street Journal and the Portland Press Herald. Her work has also appeared on News Center Maine’s television program 207 and on B&W Minimalism Magazine’s Instagram.
Her forthcoming book, Insect Safari: Exploring the Wondrous World of Everyday Bugs (Workman Publishing/Hachette), will be published in June 2026 and is illustrated with her photographs.
While Margie currently is compelled to share her contagious wonder about the natural world with her writing, earlier in her career, she wrote more than two hundred articles on the environment, neuroscience, cancer, health, biomedical research, and technology for publications including Discover, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also written extensively for the National Institutes of Health and the National Academy of Sciences.
Margie holds degrees in Botany and Environmental Studies and divides her time between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Corea, Maine.
