Subject
Re: Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve
Coates (fwd)
Coates (fwd)
From
Date
Body
From: D. Walker <dlwalker@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Actually, I would say that it is such typos that keep us on our toes (and
please don't read anything into that!); the left brain acknowledges the
typo and immediately "retypes," and the right brain simultaneously
chuckles... (and I only hope that I have not "confused" the
hemispheres...)
Lynne Walker
dlwalker@u.washington.edu
> From: Kurt Johnson <belina@dellnet.com>
>
> An Amusing Typo--
>
> Two typos introduced by tiredness into the piece re reviews of Nabokov's
> Blues, included one that was a laugher. After mentioning that San Francisco
> Chronicle reviewer Jon Keats (ironic in itself) had complained that
> Nabokov's genius, both in science AND in literature was solely literary
> genius, the typo introduced into the quotation of Stephen Jay Gould's jacket
> endorsement reached "laugh outloud" proportion: "Johnson and Coates'
> biological expertise and keen understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to
> integrate and understand one of the great figures of twentieth-century art--
> can science." [I mean heck, "CAN the science"]. Of course, the last two
> words were supposed to be "and science" but the result was ironic and
> amusing! [the other typo introduced into Gould's endorsement was in his
> first sentence-- "has" should have been "had"]. I guess some things are
> meant to be.
>
> Kurt Johnson
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 1999 8:38 PM
> Subject: Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve Coates
>
>
> > EDITOR's NOTE. This book is fascinating from the the viewpoints both
> > of the natural history buff or Nabokov reader. Oddly it has taken longer
> > for Nabokov's virtues as a scientist to be properly appreciated than as a
> > writer of fiction. The same intuition about patterning that characterizes
> > his fiction enabled him to describe the categories and relations among
> > the "South Blues."
> > ------------------------
> >
> > Nabokov's Blues-Its Own Odyssey to Date in the World of Reviews
> >
> > There has been considerable interest in how Nabokov's Blues has fared it
> the
> > unpredictable world of reviews. Since it is virtually impossible for the
> > average reader to track this ongoing "where and when" NABOKV-L asked Kurt
> > Johnson for some samples. Kurt included in the following samples mostly
> > selected "soundbites" from the "pithier" sections of reviews (which
> usually
> > followed general description of the book). Kurt also quotes certain
> > descriptive sections when they illlustrate different "tacks" reviewers
> have
> > taken in describing the book and he brackets some quotations which may be
> of
> > controversial interest to readers on NABOKV-L. The entries begin with
> > November and move backward [some indication of the size and placement of
> the
> > original review is also provided].
> >
> > November
> >
> > The New Yorker- [2nd review in a column under "Briefly Noted"]. [After
> > description of book] "This insidiously charming book teaches readers
> about
> > the place of lepidoptery in the life sciences and the kinds of questions
> > that natural scientists seek to answer. Whether it belongs to the
> > literature of science or simply to literature is uncertain, but, like
> > Nabokov himself, this volume exemplifies some of the virtures shared by
> art
> > and science: wit, intelligence, and, above all, meticulousness."
> > [November 15]
> >
> > Amazon.com, by Rob Lightner-- [at the book's entry site] "Nabokov
> brought
> > the same gentle sensibility to his scientific work that he used in his
> > writing and teaching careers, and the authors have found great new depths
> to
> > the man that an army of biographers had failed to excavate. Entomology
> buffs
> > will find much to love in Nabokov's Blues, with collecting trips into the
> > field and anatomical detective work taking the forefront. Literati seeking
> > new insights into the man's life will also be pleased to find his story
> told
> > from a new perspective, focusing more on his exacting research than his
> > tumultuous personal life. Nabokov's life reflects 20th-century biology as
> > well as literature; he involved himself in many of the great debates of
> his
> > time from his vantage points at Cornell and Harvard (where he held a post
> at
> > the Museum of Comparative Zoology). His contributions to our thinking
> about
> > speciation, some of which have only come to light recently, are
> clear-headed
> > and invaluable. The authors know Nabokov's life well and are eager to
> share
> > this side of it with us; while he will always be better known for his
> > literary work, Nabokov's Blues throws light into the shadows cast by his
> > great stature." [November 8]
> >
> > Cleveland Plain Dealer, by Jean DuBail- [top of book page]. "This book
> > contains everything a true Nabokovian would want to know about his
> > scientific life, and possibly a good deal more.. Not until the 1980's and
> > '90's , when the blues became the focus of intense scientific interest was
> > the value of [Nabokov's scientific] writings fully appreciated.. Johnson
> > and co-author Coates, an editor at The New York Times, have done ample
> > justice to Nabokov in recounting this posthumous scientific
> rehabilitiation.
> > [NABOKOV-L readers may find these two comments by DuBail also of
> > controversial interest: "Nabokov himself was not one for accumulating
> > excessive detail; it is unfortunate that Johnson and Coates did not profit
> > from his example"]. [November 18]
> >
> > October
> >
> > The Boston Globe by Chet Raymo- [cover story for book section] "In
> Nabokov
> > 's Blues, lepidopterist Kurt Johnson and journalist Steve Coates make the
> > case for the importance of Nabokov's science, not by merely reviewing the
> > history and subsequent fate of Nabokov's entomological studies, but also
> by
> > recounting the completion of a project begun by Nabokov in a 1945 paper
> > called "Notes on Neotropical Plebejinae". .Nabokov's Blues is more than
> the
> > "lepping" adventurs of Johnson and his colleagues.it is also a tour of
> > Nabokov's life and literature, a treatise on the doing of natural science,
> > and a compendium of wonderful personalities both human and lepidopteran.
> > The playful spirit of Vladimir Nabokov haunts every page, even when the
> > topic of discussion is something as esoteric as taxonomy, codes of
> > nomenclature, paleogeography, or allopatric speciation.. This is a grand
> > book: erudite, generous, and wise. It is written with a grace and
> > intelligence worthy of its eponymous subject." [October 24]
> >
> > The Seattle Times by Clarence Brown-- [already run in full on NABOKV-L]
> >
> > Booklist (American Library Association) [starred review], by Brian Kenny--
> > Many of us have tucked away in our memories an image of an older Vladimir
> > Nabokov, net in hand, face locked in concentration, stalking an insect.
> Yes,
> > we seem to recall, Nabokov, that mysterious and most elusive of writers,
> did
> > indeed collect butterflies. But what really was this all about? Johnson,
> an
> > established scientist, and Coates, an editor at the New York Times, have
> > investigated both the role that lepidopterology played in Nabokov's life
> as
> > well as Nabokov's contributions to science. . Literature and
> > lepidopterology are presented as competing loves for Nabokov; and
> according
> > to the authors, there "are scientists who genuinely view him as someone
> who
> > was distracted from a promising career in entomology by his penchant for
> > telling stories." .it wasn't until an eight-year study in the 1990s that
> > Nabokov's work could be corroborated and his reputation as a scientist
> > firmly established. Although all this may seem highly specialized, it is
> an
> > insightful and lively look at science in a life and an extraordinary life,
> > in part, in science". [October 1]
> >
> > Library Journal by Ronald Ratliff-- "[This new book] will only enhance
> > interest in Nabokov for some time to come. .one need not read any of
> > Nabokov's work to prepare for Johnson and Coates' Nabokov's Blues..[then
> > description of book]. They succeed in presenting both a biographical and
> > scientific study that brings new understanding to both Nabokov's writingf
> > and his place in science. [This book and Boyd's Nabokov's Pale Fire]
> should
> > keep the most ardent Nabokov reader busy for some time. Recommended".
> > [October 14]
> >
> > San Francisco Chronicle by Jonathon Keats-- [book section]. "Nabokov
> > would have appreciated the treatment he's given by Johnson and
> > oates. .only now that Johnson has put Nabokov's scientific work in lay
> > terms, an accomplishment in its own right, can we see how the writer
> > approached his science with a distinctively novelistic mind." [NABOKV-L
> > readers may find some controversial interest in these comments, however]:
> > "If only Johnson and Coates didn't make the same mistake Nabokov did,
> > separating his science from his literature..Notes on Neotropical
> Plebejinae
> > was a work of genius. Literary genius." [October 17].
> >
> > September
> >
> > Publishers' Weekly [starred review]--- ."The new Blues, the story of
> their
> > discovery and the meaning and relevance of Nabokov's scientific studies
> give
> > Johnson and New York Times writer Coates some of the subject for the
> > hard-to-classify book, a rarely attempted sort of hybrid that crosses
> > informed science writing with literary biography. .On the science side,
> > Johnson and Coates cover the place of butterfly studies in Nabokov's life,
> > the contentious history of butterfly and moth taxonomy.and the use of
> > butterflies in larger debates on ecology and evolution. Literarily, they
> > discuss the meaning of butterflies and morths in Nabokov's writings and
> show
> > that specialist knowledge of lepidopterology enriches the irones and punch
> > lines [in Nabokov's writings]. Readers with a taste for science and
> > literature will love this book, which is both entertaining and
> > polymathically informative-rather like the English/Russian,
> > naturalist/novelist, scholar/artist Nabokov himself. [Sepember 6]
> >
> > Stephen Jay Gould [on book jacket]-- "If Vladimir Nabokov has never
> written
> > a line fiction, he would have an honored reputation as a naturalist, and
> an
> > expert on a large group of butterflies known as Blues. He loved his
> > butterflies as passionately as his literature and both pursuits built the
> > fullness of his life. Johnson and Coates's biological expertise and keen
> > understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to integrate and understand one
> of
> > the great figures of twentieth-century art-- can science." [July 1999]
> > [This jacket note took on even more interest in light of the November
> issue
> > of Natural History magazine being a "commemoration" of Dr. Gould. In one
> of
> > the tributes therein, Dr. Niles Eldredge, co-author with Gould of the
> Theory
> > of Punctuated Equilibria (and, incidentally, also Kurt Johnson's PhD
> > professor for evolution) stated that, by Eldredge's assessment, Gould can
> > smell an important story faster than any one else in his field).
> >
> > UPCOMING- [listed below are some "known" upcoming; there will undoubtedly
> > be others, particularly the other New York area reviews which are
> > anticipated].
> >
> > Book Forum. (Dec.-March issue). Cover story featuring the famous
> Halsman
> > portrait, feature entitled: Gordon Grice on Nabokov's Butterflies
> > Washington Post (Nov. 28).
> > Scientific American (December)
>
Actually, I would say that it is such typos that keep us on our toes (and
please don't read anything into that!); the left brain acknowledges the
typo and immediately "retypes," and the right brain simultaneously
chuckles... (and I only hope that I have not "confused" the
hemispheres...)
Lynne Walker
dlwalker@u.washington.edu
> From: Kurt Johnson <belina@dellnet.com>
>
> An Amusing Typo--
>
> Two typos introduced by tiredness into the piece re reviews of Nabokov's
> Blues, included one that was a laugher. After mentioning that San Francisco
> Chronicle reviewer Jon Keats (ironic in itself) had complained that
> Nabokov's genius, both in science AND in literature was solely literary
> genius, the typo introduced into the quotation of Stephen Jay Gould's jacket
> endorsement reached "laugh outloud" proportion: "Johnson and Coates'
> biological expertise and keen understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to
> integrate and understand one of the great figures of twentieth-century art--
> can science." [I mean heck, "CAN the science"]. Of course, the last two
> words were supposed to be "and science" but the result was ironic and
> amusing! [the other typo introduced into Gould's endorsement was in his
> first sentence-- "has" should have been "had"]. I guess some things are
> meant to be.
>
> Kurt Johnson
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 1999 8:38 PM
> Subject: Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve Coates
>
>
> > EDITOR's NOTE. This book is fascinating from the the viewpoints both
> > of the natural history buff or Nabokov reader. Oddly it has taken longer
> > for Nabokov's virtues as a scientist to be properly appreciated than as a
> > writer of fiction. The same intuition about patterning that characterizes
> > his fiction enabled him to describe the categories and relations among
> > the "South Blues."
> > ------------------------
> >
> > Nabokov's Blues-Its Own Odyssey to Date in the World of Reviews
> >
> > There has been considerable interest in how Nabokov's Blues has fared it
> the
> > unpredictable world of reviews. Since it is virtually impossible for the
> > average reader to track this ongoing "where and when" NABOKV-L asked Kurt
> > Johnson for some samples. Kurt included in the following samples mostly
> > selected "soundbites" from the "pithier" sections of reviews (which
> usually
> > followed general description of the book). Kurt also quotes certain
> > descriptive sections when they illlustrate different "tacks" reviewers
> have
> > taken in describing the book and he brackets some quotations which may be
> of
> > controversial interest to readers on NABOKV-L. The entries begin with
> > November and move backward [some indication of the size and placement of
> the
> > original review is also provided].
> >
> > November
> >
> > The New Yorker- [2nd review in a column under "Briefly Noted"]. [After
> > description of book] "This insidiously charming book teaches readers
> about
> > the place of lepidoptery in the life sciences and the kinds of questions
> > that natural scientists seek to answer. Whether it belongs to the
> > literature of science or simply to literature is uncertain, but, like
> > Nabokov himself, this volume exemplifies some of the virtures shared by
> art
> > and science: wit, intelligence, and, above all, meticulousness."
> > [November 15]
> >
> > Amazon.com, by Rob Lightner-- [at the book's entry site] "Nabokov
> brought
> > the same gentle sensibility to his scientific work that he used in his
> > writing and teaching careers, and the authors have found great new depths
> to
> > the man that an army of biographers had failed to excavate. Entomology
> buffs
> > will find much to love in Nabokov's Blues, with collecting trips into the
> > field and anatomical detective work taking the forefront. Literati seeking
> > new insights into the man's life will also be pleased to find his story
> told
> > from a new perspective, focusing more on his exacting research than his
> > tumultuous personal life. Nabokov's life reflects 20th-century biology as
> > well as literature; he involved himself in many of the great debates of
> his
> > time from his vantage points at Cornell and Harvard (where he held a post
> at
> > the Museum of Comparative Zoology). His contributions to our thinking
> about
> > speciation, some of which have only come to light recently, are
> clear-headed
> > and invaluable. The authors know Nabokov's life well and are eager to
> share
> > this side of it with us; while he will always be better known for his
> > literary work, Nabokov's Blues throws light into the shadows cast by his
> > great stature." [November 8]
> >
> > Cleveland Plain Dealer, by Jean DuBail- [top of book page]. "This book
> > contains everything a true Nabokovian would want to know about his
> > scientific life, and possibly a good deal more.. Not until the 1980's and
> > '90's , when the blues became the focus of intense scientific interest was
> > the value of [Nabokov's scientific] writings fully appreciated.. Johnson
> > and co-author Coates, an editor at The New York Times, have done ample
> > justice to Nabokov in recounting this posthumous scientific
> rehabilitiation.
> > [NABOKOV-L readers may find these two comments by DuBail also of
> > controversial interest: "Nabokov himself was not one for accumulating
> > excessive detail; it is unfortunate that Johnson and Coates did not profit
> > from his example"]. [November 18]
> >
> > October
> >
> > The Boston Globe by Chet Raymo- [cover story for book section] "In
> Nabokov
> > 's Blues, lepidopterist Kurt Johnson and journalist Steve Coates make the
> > case for the importance of Nabokov's science, not by merely reviewing the
> > history and subsequent fate of Nabokov's entomological studies, but also
> by
> > recounting the completion of a project begun by Nabokov in a 1945 paper
> > called "Notes on Neotropical Plebejinae". .Nabokov's Blues is more than
> the
> > "lepping" adventurs of Johnson and his colleagues.it is also a tour of
> > Nabokov's life and literature, a treatise on the doing of natural science,
> > and a compendium of wonderful personalities both human and lepidopteran.
> > The playful spirit of Vladimir Nabokov haunts every page, even when the
> > topic of discussion is something as esoteric as taxonomy, codes of
> > nomenclature, paleogeography, or allopatric speciation.. This is a grand
> > book: erudite, generous, and wise. It is written with a grace and
> > intelligence worthy of its eponymous subject." [October 24]
> >
> > The Seattle Times by Clarence Brown-- [already run in full on NABOKV-L]
> >
> > Booklist (American Library Association) [starred review], by Brian Kenny--
> > Many of us have tucked away in our memories an image of an older Vladimir
> > Nabokov, net in hand, face locked in concentration, stalking an insect.
> Yes,
> > we seem to recall, Nabokov, that mysterious and most elusive of writers,
> did
> > indeed collect butterflies. But what really was this all about? Johnson,
> an
> > established scientist, and Coates, an editor at the New York Times, have
> > investigated both the role that lepidopterology played in Nabokov's life
> as
> > well as Nabokov's contributions to science. . Literature and
> > lepidopterology are presented as competing loves for Nabokov; and
> according
> > to the authors, there "are scientists who genuinely view him as someone
> who
> > was distracted from a promising career in entomology by his penchant for
> > telling stories." .it wasn't until an eight-year study in the 1990s that
> > Nabokov's work could be corroborated and his reputation as a scientist
> > firmly established. Although all this may seem highly specialized, it is
> an
> > insightful and lively look at science in a life and an extraordinary life,
> > in part, in science". [October 1]
> >
> > Library Journal by Ronald Ratliff-- "[This new book] will only enhance
> > interest in Nabokov for some time to come. .one need not read any of
> > Nabokov's work to prepare for Johnson and Coates' Nabokov's Blues..[then
> > description of book]. They succeed in presenting both a biographical and
> > scientific study that brings new understanding to both Nabokov's writingf
> > and his place in science. [This book and Boyd's Nabokov's Pale Fire]
> should
> > keep the most ardent Nabokov reader busy for some time. Recommended".
> > [October 14]
> >
> > San Francisco Chronicle by Jonathon Keats-- [book section]. "Nabokov
> > would have appreciated the treatment he's given by Johnson and
> > oates. .only now that Johnson has put Nabokov's scientific work in lay
> > terms, an accomplishment in its own right, can we see how the writer
> > approached his science with a distinctively novelistic mind." [NABOKV-L
> > readers may find some controversial interest in these comments, however]:
> > "If only Johnson and Coates didn't make the same mistake Nabokov did,
> > separating his science from his literature..Notes on Neotropical
> Plebejinae
> > was a work of genius. Literary genius." [October 17].
> >
> > September
> >
> > Publishers' Weekly [starred review]--- ."The new Blues, the story of
> their
> > discovery and the meaning and relevance of Nabokov's scientific studies
> give
> > Johnson and New York Times writer Coates some of the subject for the
> > hard-to-classify book, a rarely attempted sort of hybrid that crosses
> > informed science writing with literary biography. .On the science side,
> > Johnson and Coates cover the place of butterfly studies in Nabokov's life,
> > the contentious history of butterfly and moth taxonomy.and the use of
> > butterflies in larger debates on ecology and evolution. Literarily, they
> > discuss the meaning of butterflies and morths in Nabokov's writings and
> show
> > that specialist knowledge of lepidopterology enriches the irones and punch
> > lines [in Nabokov's writings]. Readers with a taste for science and
> > literature will love this book, which is both entertaining and
> > polymathically informative-rather like the English/Russian,
> > naturalist/novelist, scholar/artist Nabokov himself. [Sepember 6]
> >
> > Stephen Jay Gould [on book jacket]-- "If Vladimir Nabokov has never
> written
> > a line fiction, he would have an honored reputation as a naturalist, and
> an
> > expert on a large group of butterflies known as Blues. He loved his
> > butterflies as passionately as his literature and both pursuits built the
> > fullness of his life. Johnson and Coates's biological expertise and keen
> > understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to integrate and understand one
> of
> > the great figures of twentieth-century art-- can science." [July 1999]
> > [This jacket note took on even more interest in light of the November
> issue
> > of Natural History magazine being a "commemoration" of Dr. Gould. In one
> of
> > the tributes therein, Dr. Niles Eldredge, co-author with Gould of the
> Theory
> > of Punctuated Equilibria (and, incidentally, also Kurt Johnson's PhD
> > professor for evolution) stated that, by Eldredge's assessment, Gould can
> > smell an important story faster than any one else in his field).
> >
> > UPCOMING- [listed below are some "known" upcoming; there will undoubtedly
> > be others, particularly the other New York area reviews which are
> > anticipated].
> >
> > Book Forum. (Dec.-March issue). Cover story featuring the famous
> Halsman
> > portrait, feature entitled: Gordon Grice on Nabokov's Butterflies
> > Washington Post (Nov. 28).
> > Scientific American (December)
>