Category Archives: Darwin

The Path of Creation

This morning I came across this letter from Martha Graham  to Agnes DeMille, both dancers that left a long trail of amazing choreography, works which are not only still being performed, but which arguably form the backbone of  some dance companies’ repertoire. A Letter … Continue reading

Posted in Agnes DeMille, Darwin, Einstein, genius, innovation, making art, Martha Graham, reading, writing | 2 Comments

The Paper Garden

I have just uncovered that greatest of all delights, a book that runs so close to my vein that I look forward to going to bed at night so I can dip into it.  The book is The Paper Garden:  … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein, making art, Mileva Maric, Molly Peacock, reading, Shadow Dancing, The Paper Garden, writing | 3 Comments

How much of this is true?

For the second time since I began writing fictional biography, someone said, “But how am I to know what’s true?”  My answer is that the scenes are made up, the dialogue, the emotional movement, but the settings are as real … Continue reading

Posted in Auguste Forel, Darwin, Einstein, Fictional biography, fictional truth, Generating Fiction from History and/or Fact, historical fiction, Milos Maric, reading, Serbia, Stein am Rhein, writing | 2 Comments

My Reading of Fictional Biographies

One of the ways writers make decisions is to read similar work by other authors.  I have recently begun to check out fictional biographies from Dayton’s three library systems, to see how other writers have handled some of the problems.  … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Diego Rivera, Einstein, Fictional biography, fictional truth, Flower Festival: Feast of Santa Anita, historical fiction, Jim Shepard, Max Phillips, reading, The Artist's Wife, The Writer's Notebook: Craft Essays from Tin House, writing | 2 Comments

Chekhov on Writing about Thorny Issues

In a letter to writer/publisher A. S. Suvorin, Chekhov wrote, “You are right in demanding that an artist should take an intelligent attitude toward his work, but you confuse two things:  solving a problem and stating a problem correctly.  It … Continue reading

Posted in Anton Chekhov, Darwin, Einstein, Mileva Maric, reading, writing | 6 Comments

An Einstein Hiatus

I heard from my agent about the Darwin novel, who asked me if I might write an epilogue.  One occurred to me immediately, a scene that took place twelve years after the publication of Origin.  Consequently, I’m back looking at … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein, Research methods, writing | 1 Comment

Novelists Who “Borrowed” Darwin and Einstein

Darwin, an invalid, went frequently to various water cure establishments where he repeatedly encountered the same fellow clients.  One such, Georgiana Craik, was a novelist of the sentimental romantic genre that Darwin himself preferred.  While Georgiana never used Darwin in … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein | 1 Comment

Darwin’s Method vs. Einstein’s

As my novel about Charles Darwin’s family goes to market, I’m thinking about the differences in the two men’s methodology. Darwin was an experimental biologist, such that his home, Down House, was filled with tanks of salt water, plants that … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein, writing | 1 Comment

Darwin’s Method vs. Einstein’s

As my novel about Charles Darwin’s family goes to market, I’m thinking about the differences in the two men’s methodology. Darwin was an experimental biologist, such that his home, Down House, was filled with tanks of salt water, plants that … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein, writing | Leave a comment

The Method, So Far

The biography reading is so extensive, it would be easy to digest entire volumes and have no clue where anything is. That’s what an index is for, of course, and they are blessedly helpful. When I researched the Darwin book, … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Einstein, Research methods, writing | 4 Comments