Jane Costlow grew up on the coast of North Carolina, and now lives in Auburn, Maine. Her scholarly work in Russian literature includes a monograph on Ivan Turgenev, essays on women writers of the 19th century, a co-edited volume of essays on animals in Russian history, and a forthcoming book on meanings of the forest in 19th century Russian culture. Her translation of Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal's Tragic Menagerie won the AATSEEL prize for translation in 1999. She has taught at Bates College since 1986, both in the Russian Department and in the Environmental Studies program.