Hear from ‘America’s funniest science writer’ March 1

Vernon Area Public Library joins libraries across Illinois to host an online event with entertaining and hilarious New York Times best-selling science author Mary Roach on Wednesday, March 1, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; advance signup is required to receive the Zoom link. Sign up online or call 224-543-1485. 

Roach has been dubbed “America’s funniest science writer” by The Washington Post. She is the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, and Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. Her most recent book, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, published in September 2021.

In this online appearance, Roach will explore the weird, wonderful world in which we live and discuss her frank approach to science and the importance of humor. 

This event will feature live captioning in keeping with our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. 

About Mary Roach

Roach has written for National Geographic, Wired, The New York Times Magazine, and the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, among others. She was a guest editor of the Best American Science and Nature Writing series and an Osher Fellow with the San Francisco Exploratorium and serves as an advisor for Orion and Undark magazines. She has been a finalist for the Royal Society's Winton Prize and winner of the American Engineering Societies' Engineering Journalism Award. Her books have been published in 21 languages. 

About moderator Annalee Newitz

Annalee Newitz writes science fiction and nonfiction. They are the author of “Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age” and “Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction,” which was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize in science. They are also the author of the novels “The Terraformers” (forthcoming in January 2023), “The Future of Another Timeline,” and “Autonomous,” which won the Lambda Literary Award. 

As a journalist, they write for The New York Times and New Scientist. They have published in The Washington Post, Slate, Popular Science, Ars Technica, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among others. They are the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast “Our Opinions Are Correct.” Previously, they were the founder of io9 and served as the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo.

About Illinois Libraries Present

Illinois Libraries Present (ILP) debuted in 2022 as a way to bring virtual events with bestselling authors and diverse and esteemed speakers to communities across the state and counts more than 200 Illinois libraries as members. Joining forces for such events allow libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).