Richard Holmes on communication
"In literary culture, opaqueness often has a high value, but the scientist loves clarity and explaining things."
- Richard Holmes, as quoted in the Guardian
Biographer Holmes had to grapple with unfamiliar territory for his new book The Age of Wonder, an examination of the major scientists of 18th century Britain. In an interview by Nicholas Wroe, Holmes reveals that he had feared he wouldn't be able to understand the science. Fortunately, the scientists' own historical writings turned out to be beautifully crafted and helped make everything clear. What's more, in interacting with real-life scientists, Holmes found them refreshingly lucid compared to literary types like himself.
You can read the article here. Thanks are due to Stephen Curry for spotting this quote.