Jennifer Mach (she/they)
@jennifermach.bsky.social
Science writer and editor for Plant Editors (planteditors.com). Based in Chicago.
Here to endorse yet another book on this list––actually, all the ones I've read have been amazing. Last Days of the Dinosaurs, wow. Pests, an absolute delight that will shift your perspectives. Now I'm reading How Far the Light Reaches and am completely blown away.
I have no idea if this giveaway is still active, but holy cats, is this book amazing. I didn't really know what "A Life in Ten Sea Creatures" meant when I started... am only two chapters in and completely hooked.
I’m giving away six of my UK copies of How Far the Light Reaches, customized with a sparkly rainbow fish bookplate, to people who make a donation of any size to one of the spotlit campaigns on Gaza Funds 🇵🇸 will choose winners via random # generator gazafunds.com
Same here––@kellybdevoe.bsky.social do you know about donations?
And continuing the royal trend, it seems there's already Queen Chickpeas. Long live the legumes! ottolenghi.co.uk/queen-chickpea
Great notes! I agree about @robertloerzel.bsky.social and his adventures. Here's a photo of an osprey from much closer to home--my spouse caught this when we were out with the Jackson Park bird walk on Saturday, March 30th. I guess they (the ospreys) are/were nesting in Skokie?
So, let's hear it for editorial impertinence! And for all the authors who had the patience to school me when I was ignorant (and reviewers––yes I've read a lot of your comments). Thank you––and if you had to do a little snarking to your colleagues, I hope you were as delightful as ol' JRR.
Because if I don't have the impertinence to suggest that maybe the second paragraph of the introduction makes a stronger start, or that this nitrate transporter already has a perfectly good name and doesn't need a new one...then I'm doing a disservice to my authors.
But yeah, in the end my name isn't on the paper, so I expect authors to read my edits carefully and reject the ones they don't like and also correct the ones that are off. That said, I do flatter myself that I'm on more than off.
Sometimes I send them two files, one with a straight edit and one labeled "more", where I suggest deleting a bunch of text (often including "Plants, as sessile organisms...") or major rearrangements.
It takes a certain amount of cheek to edit someone else's writing and I try to make it clear, that (to quote Denis Morton of #Peloton), "I make suggestions, you make decisions." Sometimes it comes out as "Just a suggestion..." with that Gen X ellipsis that might be even more annoying.
A delightful quote, although I couldn't help but feel for the impertinent, ignorant editor. I've certainly been on that end of the author-editor interaction! Gotta admit I've learned a lot by being schooled by authors.
Tolkien writes (in Letter #148) "I was put to the trouble of proving to him his own ignorance, as well as rebuking his impertinence."
I was listening to an old episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast where Alan Sisto and @shawnemarchese.bsky.social discuss Tolkien's troubles with a proofreader at his publisher. Specifically over using "nasturtian" instead of "nasturtium".
Great story! As a birder, happy to see that "throwing fishing wire on the bank waters" is a crime.
Yeah comparing the T to Metra, what a suburbanite move.
@annatarkov.bsky.social I added you to the list so your posts will show up there, for what it's worth.
Nobody follows this feed, as far as I can tell, so I feel free to yeet people from the list for being boring.
Chicagoans do love to argue about place names––I also have a Willis/Sears Tower fight in my Chicago feed right now. My bike club used to get all kinds of angry about neighborhoods––Sauganash in particular, I think.
And "Ken Griffin is a Raging Asshole Museum of Science and Industry", please.
There are a number of Chicago feeds. Mine is called Skeet Home Chicago. It draws from a list of Chicago-based posters that I curate, in a mostly vain attempt to limit the stupid takes about pizza from law profs in Georgia. Posts must include keyword "Chicago". bsky.app/profile/did:...
My husband works nights and will be biking to work at around 10PM...little nervous for that, but at least it's only a 5 minute ride.
Anybody in the 🧪 feeds have contacts at NWS? Can we get them posting on here?
Eyes on the skies tonight, #Chicago!
NWS Chicago: An outbreak of dangerous severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and widespread damaging winds is expected this evening. Make sure you have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and review your severe weather safety plans!
Ooh! Good to know in case we go see the elk in Busse Woods. Love the diverse Ethiopian restaurants we have in Chicago and great to see the range of African restaurants expanding. And we had great Zambian food in Champaign–Urbana. www.stangocu.com
Stango Cuisine - Food delivery - Champaign - Order onlineFacebook link for Stango Cuisine
Order Online for Takeout / Delivery or Book a Table. Here at Stango Cuisine - Champaign you'll experience delicious Zambian, African, Comfort Food cuisine. Try our mouth-watering dishes, carefully pre...
www.stangocu.com
Eyes on the skies tonight, #Chicago!
NWS Chicago: An outbreak of dangerous severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and widespread damaging winds is expected this evening. Make sure you have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and review your severe weather safety plans!
Ha, that leaves you and me talking about tasty, diverse Midwestern food!
Must confess, I blocked the "Midwest cuisine = white" account...heard enough bad takes on Chicago/Midwest food for now.
Funny, I think birders call that pier the fish hook––had to google "Montrose horseshoe."
Gee, too bad barbecue is only found in Texas and the Carolinas and doesn't count as part of "Midwest Cuisine", which clearly only includes Jello salads and casseroles involving cream-of-whatever.
Great photos, thank you! I was going to ask if we were birding the same tree yesterday, but I think the one we were on was a maple. So amazing to find those mixed flocks of warblers––this tree also had black-throated blue and bay-breasted, plus something yellow...
Cool photo, thank you! Love Chicago wildlife...have this on hold at the library, thanks to @bowmanoutside.bsky.social for the recommendation. urbancoyoteresearch.com/resource/coy...
Coyotes Among Us - Secrets of the City's Top Predator | Urban Coyote Research
From its depictions as the “trickster” in ancient fables to its portrayal as a threat to humans and their pets in modern news sources, coyotes are rarely shown in a favorable light. Now a new book, Co...
urbancoyoteresearch.com
Great to see you here and good luck finding a doable posting strategy.
Ooh, perfect one-two with birding Douglass Park! ebird.org/hotspot/L108...
Great trip! That's me in the purple jacket and green hat.