About Jenny
By day: cell biologist at UCL. By night: novelist, broadcaster, science writer, sci-lit-art pundit, blogger and Editor of LabLit.com. I blog about my life in science, not the facts and figures.
Category Archives: Writing
In which fiction infiltrates science
Two years ago I was honored to have been one of the recipients of the Suffrage Science award. Launched in 2011 by the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, this program involves heirloom jewelry, originally designed by art students at … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing
2 Comments
Too many jobs, not enough quiet: In which I am spread too thin
To be in academia is to multitask. As a principal investigator in a big university, it is becoming increasingly apparent that investigation is not my principal role. Yes, I run a lab (which is in turn defined by multitasks: supervising … Continue reading
In which we respect the tough love: editing your writing is an art
Everyone’s a critic. But how good are people at taking their own medicine? Any why should writers strive to embrace and even welcome constructive criticism? I got to thinking about all this last night at Fiction Lab, our monthly science … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Writing
3 Comments
In which we recommend a classic lab lit novel in honor of the Pluto flyby
The big day is finally arrived: in just a few hours, we are about to get our closest look yet at Pluto. Call it what you will – planet, dwarf planet, even the last word in that classic American solar … Continue reading
In which Charles Fernyhough comes to Fiction Lab
One of the great things about being the LabLit Guru™ is that I am constantly receiving interesting books to look over. A stack of lab lit, yesterday – plus an intriguing hanger-on there at the bottom One of the not-so-great … Continue reading
In which we despair: show and tell is alive and well
I have a theory about best-selling authors. Once they have finally made their breakthroughs, they tend to get lazy. I have noticed that subsequent novels often become longer – just eyeball your collection of Harry Potters on the bookshelf and … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Writing
9 Comments
In which my palm is crossed with silver: Suffrage Science 2014
Inheritance doesn’t have to be genetic. This past Thursday at London’s Dana Centre, I was one of this year’s recipients for Suffrage Science. For those of you unfamiliar with the scheme, it was launched in 2011 by the Medical Research … Continue reading
Posted in Women in science, Writing
3 Comments
In which I am still largely at large: another mother in academia
Blogging appearances to the contrary, I am still alive, clinging gamely to some semblance of work-life balance as a new mother in academia. Not so new anymore, I realize, as Joshua hurtles, one milestone at a time, toward his first … Continue reading
In which I grapple with my Inner Imposter
I’ve been thinking a lot about Imposter Syndrome this past week. It’s no surprise why: several funded positions have come up in the department recently, and the process of applying for science-related personal funding always brings out the worst feelings … Continue reading
In which self-help goes all Jurassic on your ass
I don’t even know where to begin. How is this analogy even remotely helpful to those of us currently living in the Cenozoic Era?
Posted in Silliness, Writing
17 Comments
