Desk Notes Newsletter, May 15, 2019
The May issue features a peek at what's in store for ScienceWriters2019, resources for narrative storytelling, and a Q&A with new member Tim Bonfield.
Featured news
Kris Newby: BITTEN
Having experienced persistent effects of a tick bite, Kris Newby helped create the 2009 Lyme documentary, Under Our Skin. In 2013, she learned scientist Willy Burgdorfer, who had identified the Lyme disease-causing bacterium, attributed Lyme’s initial outbreak to a bioweapons release. Her book Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons explores that astonishing claim.
Second Annual SciComm South a success
A diverse crowd of about 75 gathered at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin on April 6 to network and discuss science communication at the second annual SciComm South.
Meet new member Tim Bonfield
Tim Bonfield, senior associate, Marketing & Communications, at Cincinnati Children's, shares #WhySciWri in this short Q&A.
What's in store for ScienceWriters2019
Get a first look at the professional development opportunities at ScienceWriters2019 from Jill Adams, chair of the programs committee.
Improv your way to better science writing
With support from Peggy Girshman Idea Grant, Katherine Mast, Allison Mills, and Phil Weaver-Stoesz are hosting a workshop using improv—live performance in which the plot, characters, dialogue, and movements develop in the moment—to help science writers become better storytellers.
Science Writing by Storytelling
The “Science Writing by Storytelling Master Class” took place Feb. 18-19, 2019, following the AAAS meeting in Washington, D.C.
Antonia Malchik: A Walking Life
Our car-centric culture has been designing walking out of our lives for nearly a hundred years, Antonia Malchik asserts. Forgoing walking has eroded our sense of community, made us more anxious about time, cut us off from nature, and boosted obesity and air pollution, she says. In A Walking Life: Reclaiming Our Health and Our Freedom One Step at a Time, Malchik calls for a U-turn.
Sunny Bains: Explaining the Future
If you’re new to covering technology, where do you start? In Explaining the Future: How to Research, Analyze, and Report on Emerging Technologies, Sunny Bains tells what to ask, where to find answers, how to assess experts’ opinions, and how to organize and convey your conclusions. Bains is editorial director of the science news site Engineering Inspiration.