Chapter 16 - Part 550

Dating the Big Bang

David A. Weintraub explains the age of the universe—and the ways scientists have confirmed it

By Michael Ray Taylor | March 3, 2011

March 3, 2011 In How Old is the Universe?, David A. Weintraub, a professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt, gives a very readable history of astronomy, explaining how each milestone discovery—starting with those of the ancient Greeks—placed mankind closer to fixing the moment it all began. Weintraub will discuss How Old is the Universe? at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory on March 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or $10 per family.

Words of Comfort

Abraham Verghese tells readers of The New York Times about an emergency treatment administered by ear

By Margaret Renkl | March 2, 2011

March 2, 2011 Writer/physician Abraham Verghese has long been on a mission to teach medical students the lost art of the physical exam, and his efforts have been highlighted by The New York Times, NPR, PBS, and Stanford Medicine, among many other media outlets.

Far From Home

Howard Frank Mosher explains why he set his masterful Civil War novel in Tennessee

By Serenity Gerbman | March 2, 2011

March 2, 2011 Howard Frank Mosher spent seven years researching and writing Walking to Gatlinburg, his tenth novel, set during the Civil War. The plot of the book follows seventeen-year-old Morgan Kinneson on a journey to find his brother, a missing Union doctor. Kinneson is indeed walking to Gatlinburg, and the sometimes cruel, sometimes funny, and always fascinating people and situations he encounters along the way change him profoundly. Mosher answered questions from Chapter 16 via email just as the book was being released in paperback.

Writers in the Red

Bidding begins today at online auction Writers for the Red Cross

By Margaret Renkl | March 1, 2011

March 1, 2011 When floods devastated Middle Tennessee last May, three Nashville YA novelists launched “Do the Write Thing for Nashville,” an online auction to benefit flood victims. The concept was simple. Writers, agents, editors, and bookstore owners donated items of literary interest for book lovers to bid on by leaving a comment. The last comment placed before the auction closed was the winner, and money was collected by PayPal.

First Blood

Holly Tucker talks with Chapter 16 about the macabre history of blood transfusion

By Michael Ray Taylor | March 1, 2011

March 1, 2011 Holly Tucker will discuss and sign copies of Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution on March 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the main Nashville Public Library. The event is part of the Thinking Out of the (Lunch) Box series, a joint venture of Vanderbilt University and the Nashville Public Library. At 11:30 a.m., lunch is served. At noon, the program begins. The event is free and open to the public.

Hot Blooded

Nashville author Holly Tucker explores the fascinating history of blood transfusion

By Michael Ray Taylor | March 1, 2011

March 1, 2011 In her fascinating new history, Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution, Vanderbilt associate professor Holly Tucker brings to life the highly charged and sometimes dangerously ignorant world of research that gave birth to what we now regard as “scientific method.” Tucker will discuss and sign copies of Blood Work on March 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the main Nashville Public Library. The event is part of the Thinking Out of the (Lunch) Box series, a joint venture of Vanderbilt University and the Nashville Public Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Tias and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us

By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, illustrated by Josie Del Castillo
Seal Press
304 pages
$30

“Within these pages, I found my abuela, my tías and my primas — laughing, crying, and nodding alongside me. This book is a gift of understanding, and loving one’s family, even when our families are complicated and painful. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of storytelling and the profound connection of kinship.”

~ Paola Mendoza, author, organizer and filmmaker