I am delighted to be able to share with you this interview I did with Sandra Nickel about her new non-fiction picture book, The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe. Let's get to it. Tell us about your new book. The Stuff Between the Stars is about Vera Rubin, who revolutionized the worlds of physics and astronomy with her discovery of dark matter. In the words of the New York Times, she ushered in a "Copernican-scale change in cosmic consciousness." The jacket flap copy describes The Stuff Between the Stars this way: Before Vera Rubin discovered most of the universe, she was a girl who loved the night sky. She watched the Big Dipper circle the North Star. And when her eyelids grew heavy, she dreamed not about what she had seen, but about what she had not seen. She dreamed about the mysteries between the stars. As Vera grew older, she tried to uncover those mysteries. At her first conference, the male astronomers said her ideas were “outlandish.” They said they were “ridiculous.” Vera didn’t like their harsh words, pushing her away. So she started studying far away galaxies no one else was interested in. The youngest wheeled like pinwheels. The oldest spun with their arms closed tight. And every single one showed that between the stars, there is stuff we cannot see. Scientists before Vera had suspected this “dark matter” made up most of the universe. But no one had been able to show it was there. No one, until Vera. What inspired you when working on this project? Vera Rubin, at every turn. Here was a woman who changed the way we see the universe. Yet, she delighted in each small discovery. She still joined students and family to look at stars from telescopes set up in yards. She raised a happy family. She made time for young scientists, especially female scientists trying to find their way through a male-dominated field. Vera Rubin was exceptional in that she embodied immense achievement as well as immense generosity of spirit. She did all this, even though her own path was fraught. She was one of very few women in astronomy at the time and was not treated well by the male astronomers. Nevertheless, she trailblazed her own path, and by a beautiful twist of fate, it was that path that led to the discovery of dark matter. Tell us about the creative process for this book. I started off by reading things Vera herself had written--articles, speeches, her book. I then read transcripts of oral histories she gave. Next, I moved on to what others wrote about her, dark matter and gravity. After I had finished all that, I started putting words on paper and sharing with my SCBWI critique group. There was a lot of revising and simplifying, some even after the first round of submissions. The part that I enjoyed the most was developing the parallel imagery between Vera's work and Vera's life. The language of stars and galaxies is rich, and I loved working with it. Oh, and I almost forgot, my very last step was to ask Megan Donahue, the President of the American Astronomical Society, if she would read to make sure that my science was right. She very generously agreed--because of Vera, I'm sure. Vera is hugely respected among astronomers. Did you encounter anything unexpected while working on this project? My favorite discovery was that Vera put her children on her CV. Before her awards and impressive degrees, she listed her three sons and one daughter, all of whom had PhDs in mathematics or science. It was also fun discovering a polaroid photo of Vera at the White House with First Lady Hillary Clinton. Vera went there on several occasions to talk about science. Hillary had autographed the photo: To Vera Rubin with best wishes--and "cosmic" respect. Now for something completely different! A large hold-all sling bag or a small purse plus a backpack for your day-to-day travels, Why? Ha! I've gone both routes. I used to be a hold-all sling bag type. But then I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years back and decided it was time to be kinder to my body. Enter: a super nifty retro-looking black leather backpack my husband gave me for my birthday. I'm in love with it, and it goes everywhere with me. The small purse? I never use it. For me, it's either a bit of cash stuffed in a pocket or the backpack. Nothing in between. Wow, it's so wonderful to hear about how much Vera Rubin discovered about our universe and all in the face of ridicule from her peers. Thank you, Sandra for letting us in on a bit of your creative journey. We wish you all the best for the launch of this remarkable new book. Sandra Yoong-Chia Bio - Sandra Nickel I have three picture books coming out in 2020 and 2021: Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe, and Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson. More stories are coming, but I can’t tell you about them quite yet. I hold an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and have presented workshops on writing for children and young adults throughout Europe and the United States. My poetry can be found in SCOOP magazine. I am honored to be the two-time winner of the Katherine Paterson Prize for picture books and a finalist for the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers.
2 Comments
30/3/2021 01:07:41 pm
Sandra, thank you so much for taking the time from your very busy schedule to interview me. As always, it's wonderful to spend time with you this way!
Reply
9/4/2021 10:22:03 am
Sandra, you're most welcome! i always enjoy speaking with you :)
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About UsWillkommen! Bienvenue! Benvenuto! Bainvegnì! Welcome! Archives
September 2021
Categories
All
|