Michael Dirda (born 1948) is an American book critic, working for the Washington Post.

Having studied at Oberlin College for his undergraduate degree in 1970, Dirda earned an M.A.

In 1978 Dirda started writing for the Washington Post; in 1993 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his criticism.

[2] In 2002, Dirda was invested as a member of The Baker Street Irregulars.

[6]) Dirda lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife, Marian Peck Dirda, a prints and drawings conservator at the National Gallery of Art.