BANNOR, Brett 1959-

PERSONAL: Born December 16, 1959, in Chicago, IL. Education: Southern Illinois University, B.S., 1981.

ADDRESSES: Office—Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30315. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, zookeeper; also worked as a zookeeper in Miami, FL, and Orlando, FL.

WRITINGS:

Bighorn Sheep, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Contributor of articles to scientific journals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Extensive research on wild animals and the law.

SIDELIGHTS: Brett Bannor told CA: " People ask me why I am a zookeeper and a freelance writer. The answer is obvious, if you have ever tried to live on what you're paid for either of these professions alone.

"To anyone wishing to embark on a career as a writer, I advise the purchase of a computer, or at least pen and paper. Perhaps someday we will control mental telepathy, and then we will be able simply to project our thoughts into the readers' minds, thereby eliminating the need for keyboards, stationery, and, best of all, editors.

"[Good writing] is all in the preparation. The only way to write informative articles or nonfiction books is to do the research, and do it thoroughly. And for goodness sake, when you do research, go to a reliable source, preferably the first place where the relevant information was published. For instance, if you pick up the New York Times and read some article on the effects of a new artificial sweetener on mice bladders, remember two things. One: mice have very tiny bladders. They can't sit through a half-hour of Friends without having to leave the couch and visit the bathroom. And two: the study of these mouse bladders was not originally published in the Times; it was probably published first in the New England Journal of Medicine or something like that. Go to a good academic library and struggle through the original article so you are really well acquainted with rodent bladders and artificial sweeteners before you try to write about this fascinating topic yourself."