Hall, Linley Erin 1979(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1979. Education: Harvey Mudd College, B.S., 2001; University of California, Santa Cruz, graduate certificate in science communication, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Francisco, CA. E-mail—lhall@nasw.org.

CAREER:

Freelance writer and editor. Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, science writer and editor, 2002-03; freelance writer, 2003—. Worked as a part-time production manager for the Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal, Claremont, CA; held a news internship at the Californian, Salinas, CA, and science writing internships at the University of California, Santa Cruz Public Information Office, and Stanford University Medical Center Office of Communication and Public Affairs, Palo Alto, CA.

MEMBER:

National Association of Science Writers.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) The Laws of Motion: An Anthology of Current Thought, Rosen Publishing Group (New York, NY), 2006.

Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? The Challenges Facing Women in Science and Technology, Seal Press (Emeryville, CA), 2007.

Careers in Biotechnology, Rosen Publishing Group (New York, NY), 2007.

(Editor) Critical Perspectives on Energy and Power, Rosen Publishing Group (New York, NY), 2007.

Starvation in Africa, Rosen Publishing Group (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Freelance writer and editor Linley Erin Hall was born circa 1979 in San Francisco, California. She attended Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, where she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, with an emphasis on biochemistry, in 2001. From there, she continued on to the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she earned a graduate certificate in science communication in 2002. After completing her education, Hall worked at the Californian in Salinas, California, a daily newspaper where she held a news internship. She also held two short-term university internships as a science writer, first at the University of California, Santa Cruz Public Information Office, and then at the Stanford University Medical Center Office of Communication and Public Affairs, in Palo Alto, California. Between September 2002 and October 2003, she worked at the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University, in Tempe, as both a science writer and editor. In 2003, she became a freelance writer, offering a broad array of services to clients. She has written various types of texts, including news articles; business documents, such as annual reports; and educational materials geared toward a high school audience. As an editor, she has reviewed work including dissertations, articles for scholarly publications, newsletters, press releases, essays, novels, and screenplays.

Over the course of her freelance career, Hall has written a number of books on various topics, though many have some link to science due to her educational background. Her works include Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? The Challenges Facing Women in Science and Technology; Careers in Biotechnology; and Starvation in Africa. She has also edited The Laws of Motion: An Anthology of Current Thought and Critical Perspectives on Energy and Power.

Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? addresses the issue of women in science and the various obstacles that stand in their way when seeking advancement in a scientific or technical position, even in the twenty-first century. While the book includes some facts and statistics, the bulk of the volume is the result of ninety-four interviews conducted with women who range in age from fourteen to eighty-one. Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? includes stories about students, women working in the fields of their choice, and others who have, for some reason, opted not to continue working in the sciences. According to Hall, women still stand out in fields where men dominate, and find that they have to work harder for the same treatment and fight to be considered as equals. While it is impossible to determine whether nature or nurture is better suited as a preparation for a career in the sciences, Hall maintains that any differences in the way women think should be embraced rather than looked down upon, as different ideas might just be what is required to uncover a particular field's next scientific or techno- logical breakthrough. Despite this notion, though, a contributor to Kirkus Reviews found the book to be "a bland report containing few surprises, padded with repetitious stories." Booklist reviewer Colleen Mondor found Hall's "academic tone" to be a distraction, but concluded that "her subject and findings are important and relevant to mainstream readers."

In Starvation in Africa, Hall addresses the various problems that have contributed to an almost constant state of famine and hunger in various parts of Africa. She begins with a general geographical description of the region, and then looks at how conflict, weather patterns, and insect infestations have caused a shortage of food at different points in time, making it difficult for the land to sustain the population. Anne L. Tormohlen, in a review for School Library Journal, dubbed the work, which is geared toward a younger audience, "an eye-opening account of the effects of wars and internal conflicts."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2007, Colleen Mondor, review of Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? The Challenges Facing Women in Science and Technology, p. 20.

Internet Bookwatch, May 1, 2008, review of Who's Afraid of Marie Curie?

Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2007, review of Who's Afraid of Marie Curie?

Library Journal, December 1, 2007, Barbarly Korper McConnell, review of Who's Afraid of Marie Curie?, p. 147.

School Library Journal, August 1, 2007, Anne L. Tormohlen, review of Starvation in Africa, p. 133.

ONLINE

Linley Erin Hall Home Page,http://www.linleyerinhall.com (August 20, 2008).

National Association of Science Writers Web site,http://www.nasw.org/users/lhall (August 20, 2008), author information.

Seal Press Web site,http://www.sealpress.com/ (August 20, 2008), author profile.