by Janice Nigro Liam was his first name. The trail guide. A strapping young New Zealander. Handsome, I thought to myself, still getting the sleep out of my eyes. In the next moment, he delivered the news in his New Zealand accent. The others in the group had canceled the guided day hike on the... Continue Reading →
The trap of choosing a narrative over scientific facts
by Janice Nigro I’m a science writer, a natural transition into a different field after years as a bench scientist mixing reagents in test tubes. Scientists are not drawn to bench science because they have a specific aptitude for writing, or the desire to write, but there is a large body of literature they need... Continue Reading →
Why every American should live abroad
Sometimes you don’t get out of travel what you expect. Like the time I was stranded on a small island off the coast of Australia. The island was not too far from the mainland, but in between were box jellyfish and crocodile infested waters. Swimming back was not going to be an option. I took... Continue Reading →
Following the science…not
As a scientist, you don’t get much time in the spotlight. It’s late nights and weekends, and you are often alone when you make your discoveries most of which go unnoticed by anyone outside of the niche of other scientists working on similar ideas. The pandemic brought a rare opportunity for a captive audience for... Continue Reading →
Telling the world that your book exists
by Janice Nigro “Bird by Bird” if you’re ever to read any books by Anne Lamott, it should be this one. She wrote it as a memoir focused on her wisdom on writing, but I can’t get those words out of my head now when I think about any project I’m working on. Because when... Continue Reading →
Easy Reader News 50th Anniversary Contest: The Lockdown Diaries
About the most amazing staycation ever...the lockdown published in Easy Reader September 10, 2020. A different format since the link is not yet available on the website. Just click on the link in green which will lead you to a pdf to read. The Lockdown Diaries Easy Reader News
You need to do research for a fiction novel?
by Janice Nigro Did you know sea stars have eyes? I didn’t, not until I started writing my fictional romance novel. Yep, they have a visual organ called an eyespot. And get this, they have one at the end of each of their arms! These eyespots detect light and dark, and large structures like the reef,... Continue Reading →
What I learned writing a novel
by Janice Nigro Lockdown has reached over four months in California. From the beginning, it was clear that life could be over for any one of us in a flash. One week you’re here and three weeks later you’re not. That edict somehow freed me from any guilt about pursuing projects of passion. So I’ve... Continue Reading →
Unexpected Results
by Janice Nigro I left San Francisco, California for Bergen, Norway. In late fall. As a single woman. A few weeks before Christmas one year. Norwegians in San Francisco. Do you need to know how to dress for winter? Thanks, but I grew up in Chicago. Light cycles of shadow and dark on a backdrop... Continue Reading →
The Lockdown Diaries: Week 12
by Janice Nigro The same title convention, but I think we’re no longer in lockdown in Los Angeles. Maybe we’ve morphed into something else. Lockdown plus? Now windows and doors are boarded up, and military helicopters fly over long after it’s time for bed. It’s as if the words people sling at each other in... Continue Reading →