���From Stephen Black: >"Make it a manual on pigeon-breeding! Forget the rest. >Everyone loves pigeons--it'd be reviewed by every journal >in the land".
>Unnamed publisher's reader on the MS for _ On the Origin >of Species_. >From the poem, "A Pigeon Fancier's Manual" by Ruth Padel > (Darwin's great-great-grandaughter), reprinted in _Science_, >326, October 2, 2009, p. 49. Another "poem" about Darwin: “Darwinian man, though well behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved.” W. S. Gilbert http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5600679.ece http://tinyurl.com/yfkbh6z Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [tips] Worst manuscript reader advice ever? sblack Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:45:20 -0700 "Make it a manual on pigeon-breeding! Forget the rest. Everyone loves pigeons--it'd be reviewed by every journal in the land". Unnamed publisher's reader on the MS for _ On the Origin of Species_. >From the poem, "A Pigeon Fancier's Manual" by Ruth Padel (Darwin's great-great-grandaughter), reprinted in _Science_, 326, October 2, 2009, p. 49. See also http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/books/18pade.html I tried to verify this quote and came up with another version of the claim which seems authoritative (which means I believe it). The misguided reader was the Reverend Whitwell Elwin who "was appalled by what he read and in a letter to Murray [Darwin's publisher] poured out his pain and hostility to Darwin´s theories, advising Murray not to publish this controversial work. He described it as `wild and foolish´ and instead suggested that Darwin should write a book on pigeons. "Everybody is interested in pigeons. The book would be received in every journal in the kingdom and would soon be on every table." http://darwinspigeons.com/#/john-murray/4535045590 Imagine if Darwin had taken his advice. Stephen --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
