Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on November 18, 1939.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1961, Masters of Art from Radcliffe College in 1962, and also attended Harvard University from 1962-63 and 1965-67.  Atwood has served as a professor/lecturer at many colleges and has served as Writer-in-Residence at three prestigious universities.  She has written many excellent novels such as The Edible Woman (1972), Life Before Man (1975), and The Handmaid's Tale (1985), which received the Governor General's Award.  Atwood is recognized as being a brilliant poet, her best work perhaps being The Circle Game (1966), which received the Governor General's Award as well.  She is currently residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her husband Graeme Gibson and their daughter Jess.