Pot-holes Everywhere: How (not) to Read my Biography of Barbara McClintock

Abstract

The story of the public reception of my biography of Barbara McClintock is a saga in itself, one that I divide into three acts: the writing of the book; its reception before the award of a Nobel Prize; and the reframing of that reception after the prize. I write about it here because I think the story may harbor moral, or even historical, lessons.My reference to public includes lay readers, of course, but also readers who identify themselves as feminists and/or as scientists. Indeed, I want especially to focus on the reading of my book by the latter two groups.