Meeting Abstract
Fossils are exquisite objects but they are also fragments of very ancient stories, and paleontologists are time travelers on planet earth. I became a paleontologist to explore these lost worlds. But “fossil” can also be a derogatory term and many people I met were bored by rocks. So I began to watch people to see how they responded when described what I was seeing. Using their cues, I learned I could make fossils funny or describe geology in terms of food without losing the thread of insight. I began to write like I spoke. I also learned to search for a place of common understanding, spending time to locate my audience where they were before I began to tell them my story. Look at your audience, respect them, and look for what makes them smile. I’m from the west coast and have always been frustrated with its meager offering of publically available paleontology. In 1998, I began to travel with artist Ray Troll in search of fossils, rock shops and museums, and to meet the people who found fossils and worked at rock shops and museums. We spent the last decade searching for the remains of the prehistoric Pacific. In California, we encountered the much-told tale of John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts. Their friendship and travels together as a writer and an ecologist resonate deeply with those who are inspired by the beauty and meaning of language and ecology. In Washington, we found the Western Flyer, the fishing boat that carried them to the Sea of Cortez and were bowled away by the power of an iconic artifact. In Alaska, we learned of Ricketts’ less-well-known 1933 trip with Joseph Campbell who was forming his views of mythology by communing with scientists. And we found a ton of fossils. Scientific storytelling is presently undergoing a golden age as we realize how important narrative, imagery, objects, humor, and surprise are to the absorption of meaning.
