Saturday, November 01, 2014

Blowing Up Your Bedroom


I'm proud to tell you I have a rather big piece in the December issue of Discover magazine. They even have a photo of me on the cover!




Well, OK, that's not really a photo of me; it's a graphic representation of what I look like underneath my skin after 43 years of smoking. But I was telling you the truth about having a big piece in this issue and I am on the cover (or, at least, my writing is touted there. It's the "Toys That Changed Science" feature, down there at the bottom left, and it's a semi-serious semi-humorous look at old chemistry sets and such.)

(As is usually the case, I would have made it more humorous than serious. I lost three or four good jokes in the editing process. This is a science magazine, though, and the editors keep me reigned in because that keeps the general public from finding out what a dope I am, which would probably be bad for business. For instance, I think I tried to slip in variations of the title of this piece - Blowing Up Your Bedroom - five or six times, in various ways, because that's mostly what I thought of whenever I played with a chemistry set. I think every one of those "blowing up" references was excised. This is probably a good thing, since we don't want to encourage any child to think as dangerously and haphazardly as I did, but I still wish one of them got through because I'm a dope.)

So, I would suggest you go and buy a copy now. As a matter of fact, not only would I suggest it, I am suggesting it. Hey, look! Here's a link to their website! Discover Magazine!

(Since it's not past Thanksgiving yet, I can't tell you that a subscription would make a dandy gift for the young scientist in your life. I think it probably would, though.)

Below is the sort of thing I wouldn't be able to say on their pages because it's entirely illiterate. Discover is entirely non-illiterate (which is bad news for me but great news for you if you buy it, which I'm sure you will.)

Soon, with more better stuff.

10 comments:

Maggie May said...

Well, who could resist a title like that?
And...... I'm sincerely glad that the skeleton picture isn't of you!
I'm now off to see the said article!
Maggie x

Nuts in May

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

I don't know a thing about blowing up rooms, but my brother once tried to burn down his bedroom.

Well, actually he was extracting gunpowder from cartridges and smoking at the same time.

Maybe he was going to blow up his bedroom if he got enough gunpowder.

messymimi said...

My #2 Son, the pyromaniac, would have blown up the whole house if he'd thought of it. Which he might, after i buy the magazine and hide it so they won't find it. It's the only way i get the kids to read stuff, is to hide it and pretend i don't want them to touch it.

Jimmy said...

Blowing up your bedroom, now that title would have been the one to have used for sure.

Buck said...

Grats on the Big Spread! You're hittin' 'em outta the park, Jim.

Hilary said...

Well far better that Discover accepts your article than your title. And even better that you have a blog where you can tout the title anyway. So glad for you. :)

sandyland said...

Always loved it and the program ..Good day of football how about making it 2 in a row??

stephen Hayes said...

There was a time when I subscribed to this magazine. Now that I see they're including your writing, I need to consider renewing my subscription.

Daryl said...

i didnt have a chemistry set but once playing with my Barbie i decided she would like a bonfire and set the trash can in my bedroom on fire .. it didnt seem to impress my parents at all that i was being creative ..

Jackie said...

Love that magazine...and I'm glad they have discovered you.
Proud of you, Jim.
Very proud.
J.