Subject
Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve
Coates (fwd)
Coates (fwd)
From
Date
Body
From: Kurt Johnson <belina@dellnet.com>
An Amusing Typo--
Two typos introduced by tiredness into the piece re reviews of Nabokov's
Blues, included one that was a laugher. After mentioning that San Francisco
Chronicle reviewer Jon Keats (ironic in itself) had complained that
Nabokov's genius, both in science AND in literature was solely literary
genius, the typo introduced into the quotation of Stephen Jay Gould's jacket
endorsement reached "laugh outloud" proportion: "Johnson and Coates'
biological expertise and keen understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to
integrate and understand one of the great figures of twentieth-century art--
can science." [I mean heck, "CAN the science"]. Of course, the last two
words were supposed to be "and science" but the result was ironic and
amusing! [the other typo introduced into Gould's endorsement was in his
first sentence-- "has" should have been "had"]. I guess some things are
meant to be.
Kurt Johnson
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 1999 8:38 PM
Subject: Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve Coates
> EDITOR's NOTE. This book is fascinating from the the viewpoints both
> of the natural history buff or Nabokov reader. Oddly it has taken longer
> for Nabokov's virtues as a scientist to be properly appreciated than as a
> writer of fiction. The same intuition about patterning that characterizes
> his fiction enabled him to describe the categories and relations among
> the "South Blues."
> ------------------------
>
> Nabokov's Blues-Its Own Odyssey to Date in the World of Reviews
>
> There has been considerable interest in how Nabokov's Blues has fared it
the
> unpredictable world of reviews. Since it is virtually impossible for the
> average reader to track this ongoing "where and when" NABOKV-L asked Kurt
> Johnson for some samples. Kurt included in the following samples mostly
> selected "soundbites" from the "pithier" sections of reviews (which
usually
> followed general description of the book). Kurt also quotes certain
> descriptive sections when they illlustrate different "tacks" reviewers
have
> taken in describing the book and he brackets some quotations which may be
of
> controversial interest to readers on NABOKV-L. The entries begin with
> November and move backward [some indication of the size and placement of
the
> original review is also provided].
>
> November
>
> The New Yorker- [2nd review in a column under "Briefly Noted"]. [After
> description of book] "This insidiously charming book teaches readers
about
> the place of lepidoptery in the life sciences and the kinds of questions
> that natural scientists seek to answer. Whether it belongs to the
> literature of science or simply to literature is uncertain, but, like
> Nabokov himself, this volume exemplifies some of the virtures shared by
art
> and science: wit, intelligence, and, above all, meticulousness."
> [November 15]
>
> Amazon.com, by Rob Lightner-- [at the book's entry site] "Nabokov
brought
> the same gentle sensibility to his scientific work that he used in his
> writing and teaching careers, and the authors have found great new depths
to
> the man that an army of biographers had failed to excavate. Entomology
buffs
> will find much to love in Nabokov's Blues, with collecting trips into the
> field and anatomical detective work taking the forefront. Literati seeking
> new insights into the man's life will also be pleased to find his story
told
> from a new perspective, focusing more on his exacting research than his
> tumultuous personal life. Nabokov's life reflects 20th-century biology as
> well as literature; he involved himself in many of the great debates of
his
> time from his vantage points at Cornell and Harvard (where he held a post
at
> the Museum of Comparative Zoology). His contributions to our thinking
about
> speciation, some of which have only come to light recently, are
clear-headed
> and invaluable. The authors know Nabokov's life well and are eager to
share
> this side of it with us; while he will always be better known for his
> literary work, Nabokov's Blues throws light into the shadows cast by his
> great stature." [November 8]
>
> Cleveland Plain Dealer, by Jean DuBail- [top of book page]. "This book
> contains everything a true Nabokovian would want to know about his
> scientific life, and possibly a good deal more.. Not until the 1980's and
> '90's , when the blues became the focus of intense scientific interest was
> the value of [Nabokov's scientific] writings fully appreciated.. Johnson
> and co-author Coates, an editor at The New York Times, have done ample
> justice to Nabokov in recounting this posthumous scientific
rehabilitiation.
> [NABOKOV-L readers may find these two comments by DuBail also of
> controversial interest: "Nabokov himself was not one for accumulating
> excessive detail; it is unfortunate that Johnson and Coates did not profit
> from his example"]. [November 18]
>
> October
>
> The Boston Globe by Chet Raymo- [cover story for book section] "In
Nabokov
> 's Blues, lepidopterist Kurt Johnson and journalist Steve Coates make the
> case for the importance of Nabokov's science, not by merely reviewing the
> history and subsequent fate of Nabokov's entomological studies, but also
by
> recounting the completion of a project begun by Nabokov in a 1945 paper
> called "Notes on Neotropical Plebejinae". .Nabokov's Blues is more than
the
> "lepping" adventurs of Johnson and his colleagues.it is also a tour of
> Nabokov's life and literature, a treatise on the doing of natural science,
> and a compendium of wonderful personalities both human and lepidopteran.
> The playful spirit of Vladimir Nabokov haunts every page, even when the
> topic of discussion is something as esoteric as taxonomy, codes of
> nomenclature, paleogeography, or allopatric speciation.. This is a grand
> book: erudite, generous, and wise. It is written with a grace and
> intelligence worthy of its eponymous subject." [October 24]
>
> The Seattle Times by Clarence Brown-- [already run in full on NABOKV-L]
>
> Booklist (American Library Association) [starred review], by Brian Kenny--
> Many of us have tucked away in our memories an image of an older Vladimir
> Nabokov, net in hand, face locked in concentration, stalking an insect.
Yes,
> we seem to recall, Nabokov, that mysterious and most elusive of writers,
did
> indeed collect butterflies. But what really was this all about? Johnson,
an
> established scientist, and Coates, an editor at the New York Times, have
> investigated both the role that lepidopterology played in Nabokov's life
as
> well as Nabokov's contributions to science. . Literature and
> lepidopterology are presented as competing loves for Nabokov; and
according
> to the authors, there "are scientists who genuinely view him as someone
who
> was distracted from a promising career in entomology by his penchant for
> telling stories." .it wasn't until an eight-year study in the 1990s that
> Nabokov's work could be corroborated and his reputation as a scientist
> firmly established. Although all this may seem highly specialized, it is
an
> insightful and lively look at science in a life and an extraordinary life,
> in part, in science". [October 1]
>
> Library Journal by Ronald Ratliff-- "[This new book] will only enhance
> interest in Nabokov for some time to come. .one need not read any of
> Nabokov's work to prepare for Johnson and Coates' Nabokov's Blues..[then
> description of book]. They succeed in presenting both a biographical and
> scientific study that brings new understanding to both Nabokov's writingf
> and his place in science. [This book and Boyd's Nabokov's Pale Fire]
should
> keep the most ardent Nabokov reader busy for some time. Recommended".
> [October 14]
>
> San Francisco Chronicle by Jonathon Keats-- [book section]. "Nabokov
> would have appreciated the treatment he's given by Johnson and
> oates. .only now that Johnson has put Nabokov's scientific work in lay
> terms, an accomplishment in its own right, can we see how the writer
> approached his science with a distinctively novelistic mind." [NABOKV-L
> readers may find some controversial interest in these comments, however]:
> "If only Johnson and Coates didn't make the same mistake Nabokov did,
> separating his science from his literature..Notes on Neotropical
Plebejinae
> was a work of genius. Literary genius." [October 17].
>
> September
>
> Publishers' Weekly [starred review]--- ."The new Blues, the story of
their
> discovery and the meaning and relevance of Nabokov's scientific studies
give
> Johnson and New York Times writer Coates some of the subject for the
> hard-to-classify book, a rarely attempted sort of hybrid that crosses
> informed science writing with literary biography. .On the science side,
> Johnson and Coates cover the place of butterfly studies in Nabokov's life,
> the contentious history of butterfly and moth taxonomy.and the use of
> butterflies in larger debates on ecology and evolution. Literarily, they
> discuss the meaning of butterflies and morths in Nabokov's writings and
show
> that specialist knowledge of lepidopterology enriches the irones and punch
> lines [in Nabokov's writings]. Readers with a taste for science and
> literature will love this book, which is both entertaining and
> polymathically informative-rather like the English/Russian,
> naturalist/novelist, scholar/artist Nabokov himself. [Sepember 6]
>
> Stephen Jay Gould [on book jacket]-- "If Vladimir Nabokov has never
written
> a line fiction, he would have an honored reputation as a naturalist, and
an
> expert on a large group of butterflies known as Blues. He loved his
> butterflies as passionately as his literature and both pursuits built the
> fullness of his life. Johnson and Coates's biological expertise and keen
> understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to integrate and understand one
of
> the great figures of twentieth-century art-- can science." [July 1999]
> [This jacket note took on even more interest in light of the November
issue
> of Natural History magazine being a "commemoration" of Dr. Gould. In one
of
> the tributes therein, Dr. Niles Eldredge, co-author with Gould of the
Theory
> of Punctuated Equilibria (and, incidentally, also Kurt Johnson's PhD
> professor for evolution) stated that, by Eldredge's assessment, Gould can
> smell an important story faster than any one else in his field).
>
> UPCOMING- [listed below are some "known" upcoming; there will undoubtedly
> be others, particularly the other New York area reviews which are
> anticipated].
>
> Book Forum. (Dec.-March issue). Cover story featuring the famous
Halsman
> portrait, feature entitled: Gordon Grice on Nabokov's Butterflies
> Washington Post (Nov. 28).
> Scientific American (December)
An Amusing Typo--
Two typos introduced by tiredness into the piece re reviews of Nabokov's
Blues, included one that was a laugher. After mentioning that San Francisco
Chronicle reviewer Jon Keats (ironic in itself) had complained that
Nabokov's genius, both in science AND in literature was solely literary
genius, the typo introduced into the quotation of Stephen Jay Gould's jacket
endorsement reached "laugh outloud" proportion: "Johnson and Coates'
biological expertise and keen understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to
integrate and understand one of the great figures of twentieth-century art--
can science." [I mean heck, "CAN the science"]. Of course, the last two
words were supposed to be "and science" but the result was ironic and
amusing! [the other typo introduced into Gould's endorsement was in his
first sentence-- "has" should have been "had"]. I guess some things are
meant to be.
Kurt Johnson
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 1999 8:38 PM
Subject: Review of reviews of NABOKOV's BLUES by Kurt Johnson & Steve Coates
> EDITOR's NOTE. This book is fascinating from the the viewpoints both
> of the natural history buff or Nabokov reader. Oddly it has taken longer
> for Nabokov's virtues as a scientist to be properly appreciated than as a
> writer of fiction. The same intuition about patterning that characterizes
> his fiction enabled him to describe the categories and relations among
> the "South Blues."
> ------------------------
>
> Nabokov's Blues-Its Own Odyssey to Date in the World of Reviews
>
> There has been considerable interest in how Nabokov's Blues has fared it
the
> unpredictable world of reviews. Since it is virtually impossible for the
> average reader to track this ongoing "where and when" NABOKV-L asked Kurt
> Johnson for some samples. Kurt included in the following samples mostly
> selected "soundbites" from the "pithier" sections of reviews (which
usually
> followed general description of the book). Kurt also quotes certain
> descriptive sections when they illlustrate different "tacks" reviewers
have
> taken in describing the book and he brackets some quotations which may be
of
> controversial interest to readers on NABOKV-L. The entries begin with
> November and move backward [some indication of the size and placement of
the
> original review is also provided].
>
> November
>
> The New Yorker- [2nd review in a column under "Briefly Noted"]. [After
> description of book] "This insidiously charming book teaches readers
about
> the place of lepidoptery in the life sciences and the kinds of questions
> that natural scientists seek to answer. Whether it belongs to the
> literature of science or simply to literature is uncertain, but, like
> Nabokov himself, this volume exemplifies some of the virtures shared by
art
> and science: wit, intelligence, and, above all, meticulousness."
> [November 15]
>
> Amazon.com, by Rob Lightner-- [at the book's entry site] "Nabokov
brought
> the same gentle sensibility to his scientific work that he used in his
> writing and teaching careers, and the authors have found great new depths
to
> the man that an army of biographers had failed to excavate. Entomology
buffs
> will find much to love in Nabokov's Blues, with collecting trips into the
> field and anatomical detective work taking the forefront. Literati seeking
> new insights into the man's life will also be pleased to find his story
told
> from a new perspective, focusing more on his exacting research than his
> tumultuous personal life. Nabokov's life reflects 20th-century biology as
> well as literature; he involved himself in many of the great debates of
his
> time from his vantage points at Cornell and Harvard (where he held a post
at
> the Museum of Comparative Zoology). His contributions to our thinking
about
> speciation, some of which have only come to light recently, are
clear-headed
> and invaluable. The authors know Nabokov's life well and are eager to
share
> this side of it with us; while he will always be better known for his
> literary work, Nabokov's Blues throws light into the shadows cast by his
> great stature." [November 8]
>
> Cleveland Plain Dealer, by Jean DuBail- [top of book page]. "This book
> contains everything a true Nabokovian would want to know about his
> scientific life, and possibly a good deal more.. Not until the 1980's and
> '90's , when the blues became the focus of intense scientific interest was
> the value of [Nabokov's scientific] writings fully appreciated.. Johnson
> and co-author Coates, an editor at The New York Times, have done ample
> justice to Nabokov in recounting this posthumous scientific
rehabilitiation.
> [NABOKOV-L readers may find these two comments by DuBail also of
> controversial interest: "Nabokov himself was not one for accumulating
> excessive detail; it is unfortunate that Johnson and Coates did not profit
> from his example"]. [November 18]
>
> October
>
> The Boston Globe by Chet Raymo- [cover story for book section] "In
Nabokov
> 's Blues, lepidopterist Kurt Johnson and journalist Steve Coates make the
> case for the importance of Nabokov's science, not by merely reviewing the
> history and subsequent fate of Nabokov's entomological studies, but also
by
> recounting the completion of a project begun by Nabokov in a 1945 paper
> called "Notes on Neotropical Plebejinae". .Nabokov's Blues is more than
the
> "lepping" adventurs of Johnson and his colleagues.it is also a tour of
> Nabokov's life and literature, a treatise on the doing of natural science,
> and a compendium of wonderful personalities both human and lepidopteran.
> The playful spirit of Vladimir Nabokov haunts every page, even when the
> topic of discussion is something as esoteric as taxonomy, codes of
> nomenclature, paleogeography, or allopatric speciation.. This is a grand
> book: erudite, generous, and wise. It is written with a grace and
> intelligence worthy of its eponymous subject." [October 24]
>
> The Seattle Times by Clarence Brown-- [already run in full on NABOKV-L]
>
> Booklist (American Library Association) [starred review], by Brian Kenny--
> Many of us have tucked away in our memories an image of an older Vladimir
> Nabokov, net in hand, face locked in concentration, stalking an insect.
Yes,
> we seem to recall, Nabokov, that mysterious and most elusive of writers,
did
> indeed collect butterflies. But what really was this all about? Johnson,
an
> established scientist, and Coates, an editor at the New York Times, have
> investigated both the role that lepidopterology played in Nabokov's life
as
> well as Nabokov's contributions to science. . Literature and
> lepidopterology are presented as competing loves for Nabokov; and
according
> to the authors, there "are scientists who genuinely view him as someone
who
> was distracted from a promising career in entomology by his penchant for
> telling stories." .it wasn't until an eight-year study in the 1990s that
> Nabokov's work could be corroborated and his reputation as a scientist
> firmly established. Although all this may seem highly specialized, it is
an
> insightful and lively look at science in a life and an extraordinary life,
> in part, in science". [October 1]
>
> Library Journal by Ronald Ratliff-- "[This new book] will only enhance
> interest in Nabokov for some time to come. .one need not read any of
> Nabokov's work to prepare for Johnson and Coates' Nabokov's Blues..[then
> description of book]. They succeed in presenting both a biographical and
> scientific study that brings new understanding to both Nabokov's writingf
> and his place in science. [This book and Boyd's Nabokov's Pale Fire]
should
> keep the most ardent Nabokov reader busy for some time. Recommended".
> [October 14]
>
> San Francisco Chronicle by Jonathon Keats-- [book section]. "Nabokov
> would have appreciated the treatment he's given by Johnson and
> oates. .only now that Johnson has put Nabokov's scientific work in lay
> terms, an accomplishment in its own right, can we see how the writer
> approached his science with a distinctively novelistic mind." [NABOKV-L
> readers may find some controversial interest in these comments, however]:
> "If only Johnson and Coates didn't make the same mistake Nabokov did,
> separating his science from his literature..Notes on Neotropical
Plebejinae
> was a work of genius. Literary genius." [October 17].
>
> September
>
> Publishers' Weekly [starred review]--- ."The new Blues, the story of
their
> discovery and the meaning and relevance of Nabokov's scientific studies
give
> Johnson and New York Times writer Coates some of the subject for the
> hard-to-classify book, a rarely attempted sort of hybrid that crosses
> informed science writing with literary biography. .On the science side,
> Johnson and Coates cover the place of butterfly studies in Nabokov's life,
> the contentious history of butterfly and moth taxonomy.and the use of
> butterflies in larger debates on ecology and evolution. Literarily, they
> discuss the meaning of butterflies and morths in Nabokov's writings and
show
> that specialist knowledge of lepidopterology enriches the irones and punch
> lines [in Nabokov's writings]. Readers with a taste for science and
> literature will love this book, which is both entertaining and
> polymathically informative-rather like the English/Russian,
> naturalist/novelist, scholar/artist Nabokov himself. [Sepember 6]
>
> Stephen Jay Gould [on book jacket]-- "If Vladimir Nabokov has never
written
> a line fiction, he would have an honored reputation as a naturalist, and
an
> expert on a large group of butterflies known as Blues. He loved his
> butterflies as passionately as his literature and both pursuits built the
> fullness of his life. Johnson and Coates's biological expertise and keen
> understanding of Nabokov's work allow us to integrate and understand one
of
> the great figures of twentieth-century art-- can science." [July 1999]
> [This jacket note took on even more interest in light of the November
issue
> of Natural History magazine being a "commemoration" of Dr. Gould. In one
of
> the tributes therein, Dr. Niles Eldredge, co-author with Gould of the
Theory
> of Punctuated Equilibria (and, incidentally, also Kurt Johnson's PhD
> professor for evolution) stated that, by Eldredge's assessment, Gould can
> smell an important story faster than any one else in his field).
>
> UPCOMING- [listed below are some "known" upcoming; there will undoubtedly
> be others, particularly the other New York area reviews which are
> anticipated].
>
> Book Forum. (Dec.-March issue). Cover story featuring the famous
Halsman
> portrait, feature entitled: Gordon Grice on Nabokov's Butterflies
> Washington Post (Nov. 28).
> Scientific American (December)