It's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is that first attracted me to Sofya's story. Perhaps it was that she faced so many of the same challenges that confront women today. So her story impressed me as very timely.
Perhaps it was that she was attracted to both mathematics and literature. I have always been attracted to both fields.
Then again, her life is one fascinating adventure that begs for retelling. She was part of very turbulent political and social times. She knew an amazing number of interesting people — scientists, authors and political figures.
She was always courageous and persistent, if not always likable.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The challenge is to stay strictly historically accurate while telling a fun story. When writing a fictionalized biography choosing which events and which relationships to emphasize which to downplay or omit can be a challenge.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
A difficult question because I have favorites in different areas.
Fred Saberhagen for science fiction and fantasy. He addresses the large issues — what it means to be a human, the use of power, good versus evil. He has a great command of history which makes for interesting reading. Most importantly, he focuses on telling an entertaining story.
Ann Hibner Koblitz for her brilliant biography of Kovalevskaya A Convergence of Lives. She's written one other books and numerous articles and essays in the field of women's studies, particularly the achievements of Russian women. I'm always impressed by the extent of her research and her clear style.
Constance Reid for numerous biographies of mathematicians. She ventured into a field where very few had worked . There are far too few scholarly lives of mathematicians available to readers, especially if the reader is restricted to English. Although her books are not widely read, they form a very important contribution to the history of science and scientists.
Elizabeth Peters / Barbara Michaels / Barbara Mertz for her thoroughly enjoyable fiction. She always combines an impressive knowledge of history, an interesting female heroine, and a sense of humor into a fun read. There are other authors who vie for my free time reading among them Janet Ivanovich and Nevada Barr. These writers, among others, deliver an interesting character and setting and a smooth style — a fun, fast read.
Article comments