Trying to be a science writer

Everyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. At any given time I can have anywhere from two to five or so books in progress, though I am sure there are times that the number is higher. These books can cover subjects as diverse as macroevolution in the mammalian lineage, the evolutionary basis for play behavior in animals, or whatever organism I happen to be obsessed with that week. They cover history, literary periods like the Harlem Renaissance and non-fiction essays on anything from atheism to theology. I immerse myself in novels and often have to make deals with myself to read a certain number of books before I buy more. It rarely works.

Everyone who knows me knows I am passionate about science. I left a successful social work career in order to pursue my curiosity, and after finally getting a bachelor's in zoology I surprised many people by entering graduate school for science writing. It didn't surprise me at all, as writing is a natural extension of reading, and I love to share my opinions, whether or not anyone wants to listen.

Most wanted to know why I didn't just go to graduate school for science. There are academic reasons, like the fact that I can't pass calculus to save my life, but I found the perfect answer in Natalie Angier's book The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Basics of Science (2007, Houghton Mifflin):


"...What's your point with these intellectual hybridization experiments, anyway?"

"I don't know," I said. "I like science. I trust it. It makes me feel optimistic. It adds rigor to my life."

He asked why I didn't just become a scientist. I told him I didn't want to ruin a beautiful affair by getting married. Besides, I wouldn't be a very good scientist, and I knew it.

So you'll be a professional dilettante, he said.

Close enough. I became a science writer. (page 4)


So Ms. Angier was a writing student with a science obsession, whereas I was a science student with a writing obsession. I couldn't have said it better myself, and no one who knows me would argue with the fact that I want to be a "professional dilettante" (though most would probably insert the word "student" for "dilettante"). So here I am , trying to be a science writer.