The creative link between science writing and art: The ‘Story’

Whether communicating about the complex world of science or using art to illustrate life in America, the “story” is what matters. The connection between two vastly different worlds struck me a few weeks ago as award-winning science journalist  Ed Yong stood before a University at Albany audience. As he shared with listeners his approach to selecting topics and then writing articles about 21st century science, the slide he projected behind him spoke volumes: “Stories Matter.” In a world bursting at the seams with scientific data and research results, The Atlantic magazine writer argued, any journalist attempting to gain…

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Viewing 20th century America through Norman Rockwell’s eyes

Before he passed away in 1978, famed illustrator Norman Rockwell offered the “secret” behind how he crafted his amazing paintings: “I love to tell stories in pictures,” he explains in a biographical video at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. He adds that what he was trying to do wasn’t “fine art.” His legions of fans would probably disagree. “The story is the first thing and the last thing,” he concludes. A visitor to the wonderful museum dedicated to Rockwell’s life and work doesn’t really need to hear those words. Each…

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