Dear L.,

Thank you for being willing to interact with a budding writer! It’s a huge honor to even get to ask questions to someone with your credentials. (I also love sci-fi and B. Books!)

I’d love to learn more about how you grew into your role as an author, and any things that were important for your early growth and process.

E-mail is great for this, or if you’d be willing to “Zoom” with me a bit – wow, how awesome would that be? – I’d be happy to host that.

The book I’m working on is about machine learning systems of classification, to help ordinary people make sense of how this technology is impacting the world today by answering the question “How is classification by machines similar to and different from what humans have been doing for centuries?” As a theoretical physicist who never had much use for classification, I’ve become fascinated with how it’s at the core of how society works and what it means to be human.

I’m still finishing the proposal and sample chapters. It could be suitable for an academic press, but I’d rather reach a wider audience, so I’ll try to interest a literary agent.

The reason I asked Heather if she knew any “scientists who write popular nonfiction” is because, while I’ve read several blog posts like “So You’re a Scientist Who Wants to Write a Popular Book,” I don’t know anyone who’s done this. So thank you again for being available & willing.

Looking forward to our further interaction.

Best wishes, Scott