Starstuff

The title “Starstuff” comes from the Carl Saganism that “we’re made of starstuff”, itself inspired by the legacy of the trailblazing astronomer Cecilia Payne, who discovered the chemical composition of the universe against the odds of her time and place.

For better or worse, I am easily influenced. My mom (who features in this very collection!) worried I’d join a cult as a teenager, because I could get so caught up with other people’s words and ideas. And I did join, in my own way, a cult of two in the 90’s, in a posh bit of London and was briefly derailed, but generally I’ve kept good company and chosen my influences well.

In turn I read about Cecilia in “The Marginalian”  the soul-lifting weekly newsletter of Maria Popova, whose portrait is also in the Starstuff collection. This Starstuff stuff  is catchy!