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I’ve gotten used to seeing Edith Wharton’s name all over the place but when I found out she’d popped up in the magazine Popular Science, I really had to check it out.
Before I hit the link, I took some guesses on what her scientific connection might be. One possibility: She was intrigued by Charles Darwin and his hot new theory on evolution. Another: She was an avid gardener so maybe botany was involved.
I should have known both these guesses were far too obvious and I should have remembered that Edith is always full of surprises. Read the article to find out why in the world Edith made Popular Science.
An interesting note on the photo in the article and this post: When I showed that particular photo to my Brave Escape of Edith Wharton editor, she didn’t want to use it because she thought it made Edith look “scared.” Edith was afraid of ghosts as a child and she claimed a bout with typhoid fever planted a vague fear deep in her psyche but “fearful” is not a word I tend to associate with Edith Wharton.