FRANCES MAYES is the author of the international bestsellers UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and BELLA TUSCANY. (UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN will also be a Disney movie - filming begins in 2002.) She has published five books of poetry and writes for various publications, including National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times. Formerly Professor of Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, the author now devotes herself to writing. She and her husband continue to divide their time between California and Cortona, Italy.