In All’s Well That Ends Well, Shakespeare wrote, "The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together" (Act 4, Scene 3). That yarn feels a bit frayed at the moment, with the grey skies of late fall combined with a post-election feeling of dismay about, oh, so many things. (More on that later.) I find strength and stability in the three things that sustain me: family, creativity, and my research and writing – working each day, no matter what – and as always that involves a good dose of activism along the way.
This week’s newsletter is an update of sorts, as I haven’t posted in weeks. But first, a bit of health news. After a summer of extensive travel for work, I was completely caught off guard with a serious medical condition. A routine visit to the doctor turned into five nerve-wracking hours in the emergency room, and what I thought was a pulled muscle in my calf from working out at the gym turned out to be several blood clots in my leg and two pulmonary embolisms. I am not at risk for these things – never smoked, exercise regularly, eat healthy, etc. – and this came completely out of the blue. I fly frequently, so that may be a risk factor, but it’s hard to say. The whole thing threw me for a loop. But my body is responding to treatment, I’ve kept up with my classes and research schedule, and I’m back in the saddle, so to speak.
I have plenty of good news to report. The forthcoming documentary, Full Body Burden: The Story of Rocky Flats, is in final edits. I reviewed final scenes last week, and I am so excited by the power and creativity of this film and the extraordinary talent of the HaveyPro team. It’s exciting to be so close to the finish line after long years of research, onscreen interviews, and incredible investigative journalism. More news to come soon!
And my forthcoming biography, Friend and Faithful Stranger: Nikola Tesla in the Gilded Age, is pushing forward as well. The amount of research I’ve uncovered is truly staggering, and the story is shaping up to be a dramatic rollercoaster of struggle and success. In July I attended the “Days of Nikola Tesla 2024” Conference in Belgrade, Serbia, sponsored by the International Tesla Science Foundation, where I gave a talk at Kolarac University. I was surprised and deeply honored to receive the Tesla Spirit Award from the International Tesla Science Foundation, honoring my twelve years of research into the life and work of Nikola Tesla.
I love Serbia and Croatia, and I am always struck by the beauty of the landscape and the warmth of the people. The city of Belgrade hums with activity and creativity. This was not my first trip to Belgrade and each time is a little different. During my last trip, I stayed at the beautiful and historic Hotel Moskva, officially opened by King Peter I of Serbia in 1908. Built in the style of Russian Art Nouveau, the history of that hotel – who stayed there, and what happened – could be a book in and of itself. Maybe someday I’ll write it.
For this trip, though, I stayed at the Metropol Palace Hotel Belgrade. Built in 1957 and a great example of mid-century elegance and practicality, the popular Metropol was where Josip Broz Tito, president of the former Yugoslavia, held his New Year's Eve celebrations. As you might imagine, there are a lot of vibes in that hotel as well.
Nikola Tesla was Serbian, grew up in what is now part of Croatia, and in 1891 became a U.S. citizen at the age of 35. He was a genius inventor, a writer, and a great humanitarian. I find inspiration in his work and in his words (as well the words of some of his friends, including naturalist John Muir, actor Sarah Bernhardt, writer Marguerite Merington, poet Robert Underwood Johnson, and more – but I digress). Through two world wars, he believed in the spirit of America. He loved New York, where he spent most of his life, and that’s where I will be next week.
Writing a book is not unlike pulling apart the strands of a skein of yarn and trying to make a sweater. I can’t knit, and I’m not Shakespeare by any means, but I hope to end up with a pretty darn good book.
New post on the way! Send me your thoughts and good vibes.