Nevada City artist, writer and advertising agency owner Dale Smith was born at the age of seventeen while attending the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California. At least that’s the way it seemed. By the time he graduated in 1968, he bore no resemblance to the son his parents thought they had raised.

At CCAC Smith was a student of poet Michael McClure, who instilled in him a love of words. At that time he also developed an interest in photography which, coupled with his friendship with McClure, led him to the doorsteps of many Beat Generation poets living in San Francisco, among them Allen Ginsberg. In 1965, Ginsberg arranged a private session for Smith and Larry Keenan to photograph Bob Dylan, McClure and himself in the alley behind City Lights Bookstore in 1965. Some of these photos eventually found their way onto Dylan’s Biograph album.

Before moving to Nevada City in the spring of 1996, Smith lived in rural Humboldt County where he spent a lot of time observing ravens and writing "What the Parrot Told Alice," a critically acclaimed environmental novel for young readers. Dr. Jane Goodall characterized Smith’s first novel as "delightful and inspired." In 2001 Smith published "What the Orangutan Told Alice," which Goodall said established Smith as "one of the leading environmental readers for children." He is presently working on a third book in this series, "What the Tortoise Told Alice."

In 1997 Smith formed Dale Smith Advertising in Nevada City and produces advertising materials and photographs for Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe. His prior advertising experience includes ownership of Smith & Jones, a highly regarded advertising agency located in Incline Village, Nevada, where he served as creative director for thirteen years.

Smith and his sixteenteen-year-old daughter Alice live in Nevada City.