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I used to like Goodreads as a way to keep track of books I read...that was 20 years ago. But shortly before it was bought by Amazon, I noticed that the app wasn't working as well as it used to. Plus, there were all sorts of problematic bullying and other weird issues. And then Amazon bought it. Not only did nothing improve but now it has the stain of Bezos (anyone else think "The Stain of Bezos" makes a great title to a horror story?) I'd tried twice to go with my own spreadsheet, and that works pretty well when I remember to do it. But when I read this article on The Guardian about a Black-owned alternative, I knew I had found a good alternative to Goodreads.  StoryGraph, here I come!
Anyone else on there?
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It's such an honor to be interviewed by the multi-talented Dr. Diane who created the Adventures in Learning podcast where she showcases authors, scientists, educators, and more.  Here's a description of the episode that I'm on that releases today:
What do starry nebula, Bruce Lee, and disgustingly cool science facts have in common? They are all products of the creative mind of author Teresa 何 Robeson. In this episode, we welcome back Teresa Robeson, a busy author with a rich background in science and storytelling. Teresa unveils her upcoming books, including Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story; Disgustology: The Science of Gross; and a graphic biography, Who Smashed Hollywood Barriers with Gung Fu?: Bruce Lee. Teresa shares insights into the art of storytelling through visuals and the collaborative process of bringing science and historical moments to life. Our discussion ventures into the mesmerizing realms of astronomy and science literature, with highlights from NASA's stunning imagery that fueled her recent book, Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us. We also delve into the importance of diverse narratives, cultural acceptance, and the role of literature in building empathy. Plus there's a fun lightning fill in the break taken from listener questions (What language does Teresa speak to her chickens? What are the most disgusting facts she hasn't written about yet?) This episode celebrates diverse narratives, cultural tales, building our empathy muscles, and the transformative power of storytelling. Download on all podcast platforms, YouTube, or https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019975/episodes/16730026 Yesterday was International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is always a good excuse to celebrate one of the most amazing women in science: Wu Chien Shiung. Dr. Wu was born in a small town in China, but immigrated to the United States to do a Ph.D. in physics and then stayed to become a professor and researcher. Despite the racism and sexism she faced in America, she became one of the most renowned and revered scientists of her day. Top physicists like Richard Feynman and Enrico Fermi sought her out to perform experiments that backed up their theories and therefore helped them win the Nobel Prize. Sadly, like so many notable women, she did not win one herself. In addition, during World War II, she was part of the Los Alamos group that helped to win the war. Most media, like the film Oppenheimer, do not generally include her and her efforts. In her later years, she conducted research to help people who suffered from sickle cell anemia, as well as funded initiatives to train girls in the fields of science.
Her contributions were honored posthumously by a commemorative postage stamp! Immigrants such as Wu enriched, and, yes, even save, the United States. This country would be so much worse off if not for those like her. To learn more about Professor Wu, read Queen of Physics and check out the other resources on my website. (Unfortunately, when nonfiction books are talked about, those on immigrants, and their experiences and contributions, are still largely ignored, as in this example below.)  Barnes&Noble is running a huge preorder sale from February 5th to 7th! If you want to preorder any of my books that will be released this year and get 25% off, join their free rewards program and use the code PREORDER25 at checkout! Click on the following links to be taken to the B&N pages: CLEAR AND BRIGHT: A CHING MING FESTIVAL STORY (March 4, 2025; Astra Young Readers) WHO SMASHED HOLLYWOOD BARRIERS WITH GUNG FU? BRUCE LEE (March 18, 2025; Penguin Workshop) DISGUSTOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF GROSS (July 15, 2025; Odd Dot/Macmillan)  Happy New Year, friends! Because most of us (okay, me...) aren't fully back to work yet, at least not mentally, this will just be a brief post on what you can expect this coming year in terms of blog content. I plan to share some background stories on each of my upcoming books this year--how they came about, the processes that went into them, and other anecdotes I might think of. As well, I'll talk a bit about writing processes in general...maybe some grammar pet peeves. Hah.
I also hope to share things about botany, particularly plants that I want to draw for a 2026 calendar. Because I intend to do more surface pattern design, you'll likely see. few posts about those, too.
And much as I dread this year (and the next few) politically, I will not talk about it on the blog. In case anyone wants to know, I share my despair on Bluesky. If there's anything else you'd like me to write about, just let me know in the comments!
Making these lists is truly an early Christmas present for me...one that I didn't know I wanted so much!
Last weekend, I was at the annual Books By the Banks festival in Cincinnati where I signed books and also appeared in a panel called Scientifically Speaking: Science Nonfiction along with Carmella Van Vleet and Jillian Scudder, moderated by Mary Kay Carson.  I also got to see a bunch of author friends. From the Kidlit For Growing Minds group, there's Katie Mazeika, Debra Shumaker, and Keila Dawson. In the photo on the right is me and Robin Newman.
The left-hand photo is of me and Laura Gehl. Annnd, I got to meet THE John Scalzi (you sci-fi folks will know why I'm geeking out).
This weekend, I am in Boston for the National Council of Teachers of English conference. I'll be at the following panel (see below) as well as signing copies of Queen of Physics at the Union Square booth (#704) today (Friday, Nov. 22) at 10:30 a.m. So if you're there, stop on by!  The lovely and talented Lydia Lukidis featured an interview of me about my newest book, Clouds in Space, on her blog this week. Be sure to check it out as there is a giveaway! And if you're near Cincinnati, OH, tomorrow (Saturday, November 16), do drop on by the Cincy Main Library for this spectacular annual Books By the Banks Festival. I'll be there signing and am also a panelist for a talk called Scientifically Speaking: Science Nonfiction.  I have spent too much time in the past 3 days on Canva creating reels for social media. What did you waste your time on this week? |
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