The Story Trumps Everything: an Interview with Deborah Blum

interview

The Story Trumps Everything: an Interview with Deborah Blum

Posted 21 May 2013 by Matt Shipman

If I had to hatch a murder plot with a science writer, Deborah Blum would be my first choice. Like Agatha Christie, Blum’s work frequently references poisons, skulduggery and murder most foul. Unlike Christie, Blum’s work is nonfiction. An award-winning journalist, Blum has written about issues ranging from primate research to the science of sex. But in recent years her focus has been on, broadly speaking, the science of murder. Her 2010 book, “The Poisoner’s Handbook,” chronicles an exciting era... Read more

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Bringing Academia into the Newsroom: An Interview with Akshat Rathi

Posted 16 May 2013 by Matt Shipman

Despite the repeated claims that journalism is dying, we’re seeing a lot of news outlets spring into being. One of those new outlets, The Conversation, is taking a fairly interesting approach – marrying academia and journalism under one banner. The Conversation, which is based in the U.K., launched May 16. It is a free news site that (according to a teaser it posted online) is “produced by academics and journalists” and aims to “source news, commentary and the latest research... Read more

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How Do You Not Get Curious? An Interview with Jessica Wapner

Posted 7 May 2013 by Matt Shipman

Medical writing can be dry, technical and confusing. But it can also be spellbinding, pulling readers into a world where men and women are engaged in a daily battle against human suffering. At its best, medical writing reminds readers that the triumph of scientific discovery can not only change lives, but save them. “The Philadelphia Chromosome,” by first-time author Jessica Wapner, is an example of great medical writing. The book involves dozens of researchers, more than a century of complex... Read more

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What to Expect from Nautilus: an Interview with Amos Zeeberg

Posted 29 April 2013 by Matt Shipman

The new science magazine Nautilus is rolling out its first issue today, April 29. All I knew about the magazine was that each monthly issue would focus on one specific topic. To learn more, I picked the brain of Amos Zeeberg, digital editor of Nautilus. And, yes, he has some tips for freelancers. Communication Breakdown: Did you come up with the idea for Nautilus? Why choose to focus an entire issue each month on a single topic? Amos Zeeberg: It... Read more

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How Dinosaurs Actually Lived: an Interview with Brian Switek

Posted 16 April 2013 by Matt Shipman

To the best of my knowledge, everyone likes dinosaurs. But writing about the science behind dinosaur research requires more than a passion for the subject. It requires the attention to detail and ability to place research findings in context necessary for all science writing, while also keeping up with taxonomic name changes, entrenched public misconceptions about the subject and fierce academic feuds over how to interpret new findings. Few writers are as adept (or as prolific) at covering the science... Read more

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There’s an Interesting Book There: an Interview with Mary Roach

Posted 20 March 2013 by Matt Shipman

Of all the authors whose books are shelved in the “Science” section, Mary Roach may be the funniest. And she is definitely the funniest to have written books about scientific research related to sex, death (twice!), and sending humans into space. If you’re not familiar with Roach, she is the author of “Stiff,” “Spook,” “Bonk” and “Packing for Mars.” (Her newest book, “Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal,” comes out April 1.) She has also written for a variety of... Read more

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Covering the ‘Wow’ Beat: an Interview with Ed Yong

Posted 12 March 2013 by Matt Shipman

This blog focuses on science communication from blogging to institutional communication to mainstream reporting. It was almost inevitable that I’d end up interviewing Ed Yong, who started in institutional communication, moved to blogging and now writes for mainstream news outlets ranging from Nature to Slate while maintaining his “Not Exactly Rocket Science” blog on National Geographic’s science salon site, Phenomena. A lot of reporters go on to become public information officers (PIOs). Few PIOs go on to become reporters. I... Read more

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Inform, Engage and Inspire: an Interview with Jen Christiansen

Posted 6 February 2013 by Matt Shipman

Visual art is an important communication tool. To drive home the point, think of all the magazines you know of that have no photographs or illustrations. Short list, right? That’s because reading unbroken blocks of text simply doesn’t have the same appeal as reading stories and articles that are highlighted, broken up, complemented or entirely driven by images. But I’m a words guy, not an images guy. To get some insight into how science publications marry words and images, I... Read more

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Science, People, Ideas and Agendas: an Interview with David Dobbs

Posted 22 January 2013 by Matt Shipman

Books can be powerful communication tools, and good writers can turn complex scientific subjects into spellbinding stories that are accessible by readers of all backgrounds – not just scientists and science enthusiasts. David Dobbs is one of those writers. Dobbs is the author of “The Northern Forest,” “The Great Gulf” and “Reef Madness,” and has written for The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, National Geographic and other outlets. He also writes the Neuron Culture blog for Wired Science. I read... Read more

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