Ask yourself to distinguish between a novelist and a scientist. You will no doubt say that the novelist writes narratives derived from his or her imagination and past experiences. Novelists thrive on subjectivity. The scientist, you may say, probes nature objectively, and keeps an arm’s length away from subjectivity. The writer depends on himself to [...]
In her comprehensive biography, The Invention of Nature (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016), Andrea Wulf tells how Alexander Humboldt (1769 -1859) was the first to understand that the natural world “was interwoven as with ‘a thousand threads’.” Humboldt saw “unity in variety.” He was the first to consider different plants, animals and inanimate nature interdependent and [...]
Perspective is a tricky, subjective devil, suggesting a relative hierarchy. Most would say a person’s perspective reflects what he or she recognizes and believes is most important. When complaining about this or that, I commonly put my mind at rest by telling myself to relax and “keep some perspective.” At times I have joked about [...]
Think back on your life. What stands out? What do you remember first, and then what comes to you more slowly as you reconstruct your memories? Or, what made you choose one or another event among the thousands that comprise your life? This was one of the challenges I faced when writing my memoirs. I [...]
