[meteorite-list] Meteorite Article in "Seed"

From: Jim <Jim_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:34 2004
Message-ID: <001e01c32b9a$8105ba20$6401a8c0_at_ATTBI.com>

Geoff, it is too bad that they butchered your story. You have always been
such a good writer. I often get out my old Meteorite Magazines and re-read
your story of your first trip to Chile with Steve Arnold (Arkansas).

It just goes to show you that editors put their own spin on a story and the
truth be damned!!!!! Got to sell magazines, you know!!!! The bottom line
$$$ rules in our capitalist society.

So, I guess I will go out and try to find a copy of SEED.

Jim Strope
421 Fourth Street
Glen Dale, WV 26038

Catch a Falling Star Meteorites
http://www.catchafallingstar.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <geoking_at_notkin.net>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 4:17 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Article in "Seed"


Greetings Dear Listees:

Perhaps against my better judgement, I would like to inform you all
that I have a meteorite article in the latest issue (May/June, 2003)
of "Seed," pages 38 - 40, entitled "Tales from Tucson of Meteorites
and Margaritas" (not my idea). "Seed" is a relatively new
high-profile glossy national magazine, available on newsstands, which
is (inaccurately, in my opinion) promoted as a "hip science"
publication for young, cool scientist types (!?). It looks sort of
like a cross between "Maxim" and "Discover." It contains photos of
society openings, naked women, the "Valera" cow, lots of soldiers and
demonstrations, and . . . well . . . let's just say it doesn't
exactly have a unified vision.

A couple of months back, I was contacted by a very nice editor at the
magazine. She asked me to prepare a piece on the history of the
Valera meteorite, and the eventual offering of same at the Macovich
Auction in Tucson. And that I did. The senior editor then decided
that what *she* really wanted was not a piece about Valera, but one
about the "eccentric characters" within the meteorite community. So,
I re-wrote it. Then she decided that she actually, truly, wanted a
story about the Notkin/Arnold birthday party and the Harvey Awards
(yes, I know how weird this sounds -- being paid to write an article
about my own birthday party for a science magazine?). Anyway, to cut
a long story short, my article was heavily re-written by persons
other than myself, and dopey phrases like "[Tucson] becomes a hotbed
of meteorite passion" were added in against my will. "Seed" made it
abundantly clear that I had signed a contract with them, and they
were going to do whatever they wanted with my article, and if I
wasn't happy about the clichés and other made-up parts that had been
added in, then that was just tough. And you thought the meteorite
business was mean : )

On the positive side, List members Steve Arnold (IMB), Geoff Cintron,
Iris and Allan Lang, Adam and Greg Hupé, Jim Kriegh, Darryl Pitt, and
Matt Morgan are all mentioned by name in the article -- some in the
capacity of Harvey Award winners. Michael Cottingham's excellent
photo of the largest Valera meteorite and a stand-in (live) cow is
printed nearly full-page size on pg. 38, and that is certainly worth
a look (make sure you get paid for that photo, Michael!).

Please note: I am *not* suggesting that you go out and buy this
magazine. "Seed" gave me a really hard time, and my short article is
not worth the $4.95 cover price. However, it is, hopefully, well
worth a glance at your local newsstand, mostly because of Michael's
fine photo and -- hey -- you just might get a laugh out of the
article too.

Regards,

Geoff N.

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Received on Thu 05 Jun 2003 03:41:48 PM PDT