The Story of a Snail, a Writer, and a Scientist
Posted onTanya Baker, the Director of the National Writing Project, has just posted an interview with Tim Pearce, my malacologist (snail scientist), and myself. Tim and I talk about how I first contacted him when researching my book and Tim tells lots of wonderful snail stories. If you’d like to hear what happens to a snail when it encounters a shrew and how one snail species is preventing the military from bombing an island, check out the tinyurl interview link here. ~ETB
NWP Interview: https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/4347
Recording the sound of a snail eating
Posted onLast week I met with sound scientist/artist JT Bullitt to make new recordings of two Neohelix albolabris snails as they ate various food stuffs. Their eating sound passes through the food substrate (not through the air), so these are substrate recordings. It was quite exciting to get fresh sounds with John’s newly devised set up and the snail’s had a good time feasting on many courses. The adult was willing to try eating anything, but the juvenile was more interested in exploring the mic wires, though it couldn’t resist the mushroom. See links below.
2014 photos from the most recent recording session
2012 sound recording photo
Wild Snail Book Migration Project
Posted onJust launched! Sixty students from the Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Maryland are participating in the Wild Snail Book Migration Project. The students are “releasing” 60 coded Wild Snail books into a variety of public places. They will then track the migration of these books through society. Each student chooses the location for the start of his book’s adventure. Ryan Bromwell, the science teacher heading the project wrote: “One student plans to place his book next to his favorite cereal in a grocery store. Another is planning to mail his copy to his grandparents in Minnesota. Another is taking his book to release in Jamaica (the country) on spring break. Others students are leaving their books in parks, malls, bookstores, etc.” If you see a copy of the book with a brightly colored label, it is part of the Wild Snail Book Migration Project.
The Japanese translation of the Wild Snail book!
Posted onThe Japanese translation of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating has just been published by Asuka Shinsh. The cover design is beautiful and unexpected, quite in keeping with the story between the covers! The cover has die-cut holes to show where the snail has eaten through the jacket down to the green cover beneath. A truly lovely edition with its own bookmark.