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EDITOR's NOTE. Kurt Johnson is co-author , with Steve Coates, of the book
"NABOKOV's BLUES: The Scientific Oddesy of a Literary Genius" (Cambridge,
MA: Zoland, 1999). In addiion to its own virtues, the book nakes an
admirable companion or, better yet, preface to the Boyd, Pyle, Nabokov
volume NABOKOV's BUTTERFLIES.
--------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kurt Johnson" <belina@dellnet.com>
To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
.
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (34
lines) ------------------
> We are beginning to see, I think, some tangible public/political response
to
> the science-related information imparted to the public during the
centenary
> by Nabokov's Blues and now Nabokov's Butterflies. This week, New York's
> Governor Pataki attended, for the first time, a Karner Blue related
> conservation event and announced in person a "land-swap" program that will
> add further preserve acreage to the upstate Karner Blue preserves. As
well,
> some of us in the scientific community who are the most knowledgeable on
> Nabokov and his blues have been contacted regarding, and in some cases
> already attended, meetings with officials of various state and regional
> departments involved with Karner Blue conservation. We have been asked
some
> concerned and sincere questions about the preservation status of the blue
> and discussed a variety of ways there might be further enhancement of its
> survival. Some credit is due Dmitri Nabokov for recognizing these needs
> early on and providing us with a Karner Blue conservation statement back
in
> January. We seem to have some media spinning off of this focus and also
> centering on publicizing the situation of this particular endangered
> species. As well, we've succeeded in convincing the Chilean Parks Dept.
to
> begin a program to protect the Adesmia cushions (the foodplants of many of
> Nabokov's South American Blues) from the rampant grazing that has been
> destroying them in southern South America. Also, recent discovery of a
new
> blue in Argentina related to Nabokov's mimicry model Pseudolucia chilensis
> (our publication on this has just gone to press) seems to add further
> evidence to the reality of an early Austral/Antarctic fauna in southern
> South America. If so, this reinforces the view that Nabokov's blues are a
> data set important to undertanding the history of that vast continent. We
> have also seen a tangible beginning to what may result in some credible
> documentary filming regarding the plight on some of Nabokov's blues. This
> and a number of other "blues-friendly" things are very gratifying and
> obviously relate to the publicity of the centenary. For this progress
> thanks is also due to Nabokov-on-line and Zembla for their willingness to
> always field these issues as well in their venues.
>
> Dr. Kurt Johnson
>
"NABOKOV's BLUES: The Scientific Oddesy of a Literary Genius" (Cambridge,
MA: Zoland, 1999). In addiion to its own virtues, the book nakes an
admirable companion or, better yet, preface to the Boyd, Pyle, Nabokov
volume NABOKOV's BUTTERFLIES.
--------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kurt Johnson" <belina@dellnet.com>
To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
.
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (34
lines) ------------------
> We are beginning to see, I think, some tangible public/political response
to
> the science-related information imparted to the public during the
centenary
> by Nabokov's Blues and now Nabokov's Butterflies. This week, New York's
> Governor Pataki attended, for the first time, a Karner Blue related
> conservation event and announced in person a "land-swap" program that will
> add further preserve acreage to the upstate Karner Blue preserves. As
well,
> some of us in the scientific community who are the most knowledgeable on
> Nabokov and his blues have been contacted regarding, and in some cases
> already attended, meetings with officials of various state and regional
> departments involved with Karner Blue conservation. We have been asked
some
> concerned and sincere questions about the preservation status of the blue
> and discussed a variety of ways there might be further enhancement of its
> survival. Some credit is due Dmitri Nabokov for recognizing these needs
> early on and providing us with a Karner Blue conservation statement back
in
> January. We seem to have some media spinning off of this focus and also
> centering on publicizing the situation of this particular endangered
> species. As well, we've succeeded in convincing the Chilean Parks Dept.
to
> begin a program to protect the Adesmia cushions (the foodplants of many of
> Nabokov's South American Blues) from the rampant grazing that has been
> destroying them in southern South America. Also, recent discovery of a
new
> blue in Argentina related to Nabokov's mimicry model Pseudolucia chilensis
> (our publication on this has just gone to press) seems to add further
> evidence to the reality of an early Austral/Antarctic fauna in southern
> South America. If so, this reinforces the view that Nabokov's blues are a
> data set important to undertanding the history of that vast continent. We
> have also seen a tangible beginning to what may result in some credible
> documentary filming regarding the plight on some of Nabokov's blues. This
> and a number of other "blues-friendly" things are very gratifying and
> obviously relate to the publicity of the centenary. For this progress
> thanks is also due to Nabokov-on-line and Zembla for their willingness to
> always field these issues as well in their venues.
>
> Dr. Kurt Johnson
>