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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
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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
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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
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
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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
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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
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
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
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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
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