I feel so fortunate to be going to Centenary--where else can you dine with the President, your professors, and a famous author?  I had the pleasure of meeting the author of Galileo's Daughter, Ms. Dava Sobel, last night over dinner, and she is incredible.  I was nervous about meeting her, but she was so genuinely friendly and easy to talk to that my anxiety quickly melted away.  She seemed interested in the students here and in our activities.  I suppose I expected her to be a genius who would talk over my head about things about which I know nothing, but instead she told us about her children, her lifestyle, and her travels.  Ms. Sobel fascinates me because, though clearly brilliant, she has the gift of making other people feel comfortable in her presence.
         Ms. Sobel spoke today at the Convocation about how she wrote Galileo’s Daughter and how she originally got into writing.  She was engaging, funny, and motivating.  I was interested to hear her anecdotes about writing, like how she searched everywhere for Maria Celeste’s portrait and finally found it in London.
        She gave great advice for writing as well.  She assured us that to be successful, days of hopelessness are a vital part of the writing process.  Obviously, choosing a topic of interest is key, as is knowing your audience.  One way to do this, she explained, is to practice by writing letters.  Unlike a journal written to oneself, letters actively focus on a specific audience.  Ms. Sobel also stressed that an emotional connection to the subject of a work is immensely important.  I was touched when she recalled that the reason she loved Maria Celeste’s letters so much was that when her own father died, Ms. Sobel found a letter she had written to him years before that he had saved.
        Also interesting, Ms. Sobel must be careful about reading other works while writing because they can influence her style.  She said that her sentences in Galileo’s Daughter are about twice as long as those in Longitude because she spent so much time reading Maria Celeste’s extended sentences in her letters.
        I find it ironic that Ms. Sobel does not keep up with the world news.  As interested as she is in historic people and events, I would have guessed she would want to know about the history being created every day.  But, as she pointed out, news today is a bit like watching a soap opera—you only need to watch about once a month to stay up-to-date.
        I really admire Dava Sobel.  Not only did she dedicate herself to a five-year monumental project filled with setbacks and frustrations, she told a unique story that ties together many aspects of life in 17th century Italy.  She turned Galileo’s public and personal lives into a human-interest story for everyone to enjoy, not just for scientists and historians.  I love how passionate she is for writing and her humble attitude towards her work.  Also, I commend her flawless style and am proud that Centenary chose such a fine author to be named the inaugural Attaway Fellow.