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S7 Ep 7 - Jurassic Girl
Middle-grade historical fiction meets women in science in this inspiring episode! In this episode we welcome Michele Hollow, author of the novel Jurassic Girl, a biographical fiction about Mary Anning, the remarkable 12-year-old fossil hunter who discovered an ichthyosaur in 1811. Despite being poor, female, and self-educated, Mary triumphed over the dismissive men of the Geological Society. Michele shares her journey from animal writing and wildlife conservation journalism to crafting this middle-grade biography, discussing her research at the Lyme Regis museum and the challenges of writing historical research with authentic dialogue. Tune in to hear an excerpt from Jurassic Girl where young Mary visits Elizabeth Philpot's library for the first time.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How Michele Hollow discovered the story of Mary Anning, the pioneering fossil hunter who made groundbreaking discoveries in paleontology despite facing gender and class barriers in 1811
The process of transforming journalism skills into middle-grade historical fiction writing, including researching Lyme Regis and the Geological Society archives to create authentic biographical fiction
Why Mary Anning was dismissed by male scientists of her time and how she persisted in her fossil hunting work along the dangerous cliffs of England's Jurassic Coast
Michele's background in animal writing and wildlife conservation, from childhood classes at the Bronx Zoo to writing a middle-grade biography about the Grateful Dead
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Michele Hollow shares her work: animal writing, wildlife conservation, and middle-grade historical fiction
02:19 - Michele's childhood passion for animals, from the Bronx Zoo zoology classes to volunteering at Central Park Zoo and learning about wildlife
05:03 Michele discusses her experiences writing about the Grateful Dead
07:42 - Discovering Mary Anning, the 12-year-old fossil hunter who found an ichthyosaur in Lyme Regis in 1811, despite being dismissed by the Geological Society
10:12 - Research process for Jurassic Girl, including connecting with the Lyme Regis museum and studying Mary Anning's life through biographical fiction sources
14:32 - Excerpt from Jurassic Girl where Mary Anning visits Elizabeth Philpot's library and discusses fossil hunting and paleontology discoveries
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Mary Anning overcame extraordinary obstacles as a poor, self-educated 12-year-old girl in 1811 to make groundbreaking fossil hunting discoveries that changed our understanding of prehistoric life, yet faced dismissal from the male-dominated Geological Society
Michele Hollow demonstrates how journalism skills translate powerfully to middle-grade historical fiction, using research abilities to uncover details about Lyme Regis, museum archives, and Mary Anning's life while creating authentic dialogue for biographical fiction
Jurassic Girl brings women in science history to young readers, showing how Mary Anning's persistence and passion for paleontology paved the way for future scientists despite the gender barriers of her time
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Michele C. Hollow writes about health, pets and wildlife, climate, and lifestyle. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Next Avenue, The Guardian, Parents, AARP, and The Costco Connection. She's the author of The Everything Guide to Working with Animals (Adams Media) and a middle-grade biography of the Grateful Dead (Enslow Publishing).
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Michele C. Hollow - LinkedIn
Michele C. Hollow - Facebook
Michele C. Hollow - Website
Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter (Dinosaur books for kids 8–12): Hollow, Michele C.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
View all episodes
By Reenita Hora
4.5
66 ratings
Middle-grade historical fiction meets women in science in this inspiring episode! In this episode we welcome Michele Hollow, author of the novel Jurassic Girl, a biographical fiction about Mary Anning, the remarkable 12-year-old fossil hunter who discovered an ichthyosaur in 1811. Despite being poor, female, and self-educated, Mary triumphed over the dismissive men of the Geological Society. Michele shares her journey from animal writing and wildlife conservation journalism to crafting this middle-grade biography, discussing her research at the Lyme Regis museum and the challenges of writing historical research with authentic dialogue. Tune in to hear an excerpt from Jurassic Girl where young Mary visits Elizabeth Philpot's library for the first time.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How Michele Hollow discovered the story of Mary Anning, the pioneering fossil hunter who made groundbreaking discoveries in paleontology despite facing gender and class barriers in 1811
The process of transforming journalism skills into middle-grade historical fiction writing, including researching Lyme Regis and the Geological Society archives to create authentic biographical fiction
Why Mary Anning was dismissed by male scientists of her time and how she persisted in her fossil hunting work along the dangerous cliffs of England's Jurassic Coast
Michele's background in animal writing and wildlife conservation, from childhood classes at the Bronx Zoo to writing a middle-grade biography about the Grateful Dead
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Michele Hollow shares her work: animal writing, wildlife conservation, and middle-grade historical fiction
02:19 - Michele's childhood passion for animals, from the Bronx Zoo zoology classes to volunteering at Central Park Zoo and learning about wildlife
05:03 Michele discusses her experiences writing about the Grateful Dead
07:42 - Discovering Mary Anning, the 12-year-old fossil hunter who found an ichthyosaur in Lyme Regis in 1811, despite being dismissed by the Geological Society
10:12 - Research process for Jurassic Girl, including connecting with the Lyme Regis museum and studying Mary Anning's life through biographical fiction sources
14:32 - Excerpt from Jurassic Girl where Mary Anning visits Elizabeth Philpot's library and discusses fossil hunting and paleontology discoveries
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Mary Anning overcame extraordinary obstacles as a poor, self-educated 12-year-old girl in 1811 to make groundbreaking fossil hunting discoveries that changed our understanding of prehistoric life, yet faced dismissal from the male-dominated Geological Society
Michele Hollow demonstrates how journalism skills translate powerfully to middle-grade historical fiction, using research abilities to uncover details about Lyme Regis, museum archives, and Mary Anning's life while creating authentic dialogue for biographical fiction
Jurassic Girl brings women in science history to young readers, showing how Mary Anning's persistence and passion for paleontology paved the way for future scientists despite the gender barriers of her time
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Michele C. Hollow writes about health, pets and wildlife, climate, and lifestyle. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Next Avenue, The Guardian, Parents, AARP, and The Costco Connection. She's the author of The Everything Guide to Working with Animals (Adams Media) and a middle-grade biography of the Grateful Dead (Enslow Publishing).
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Michele C. Hollow - LinkedIn
Michele C. Hollow - Facebook
Michele C. Hollow - Website
Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter (Dinosaur books for kids 8–12): Hollow, Michele C.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy