Episode transcript:

"To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years ... is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be." - Rachel Carson

Born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson grew up in the hills overlooking the Allegheny River. It was there that she fell in love with nature after many walks in the area with her mother, observing the natural landscapes and the wildlife. And it was also there that, in her youth, she fell in love with writing, winning several awards. She published her first story in a children's magazine at ten years old, and around that time began telling people that she wanted to be a professional writer. 

While her family was not well off, her mother insisted that Rachel attend college to become a writer. She entered intending to study English but changed her major to biology in her sophomore year. After graduating, she continued her studies, earning a master's degree in zoology. Then, she began a doctorate. But because of the Great Depression and with her father's passing in 1935, Rachel dropped out, taking a job with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to help support her family.

At work, she wrote radio copy for educational broadcasts. A year later, after receiving the highest score in the civil service exam, she became a junior biologist in the organization. But because of her writing talent, she was asked to continue writing, a role in which she would eventually grow to become Editor-in-Chief of all service publications.

Outside of working in her government job, Rachel began writing articles for publications around the U.S. Those articles evolved into books. And all these works, beloved by many, would influence how people understood and talked about nature. Amongst many impacts, she brought the word ecology to everyday life. And she spurred an increased awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment, and the inextricable links between pollution and public health. This work also had policy implications, as she challenged those using harmful pesticides, leading to a national ban on DDT and other pesticides.

Rachel passed away from breast cancer on April 14, 1964, at the age of 56.

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Original post: A Snapshot Biography of Rachel Carson

Sources:

• Carson, Rachel L. The Edge of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1955.

• Lear, Linda J. “Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring.’” Environmental History Review, vol. 17, no. 2, 1993, pp. 23–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3984849. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.

• “Rachel Carson.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson

• “Rachel Carson (1907-1964) Author of the Modern Environmental Movement.” U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/staff-profile/rachel-carson-1907-1964-author-modern-environmental-movement / “Rachel-Carson.” Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rachel-Carson.jpg

Story transcript & sources: https://historicalsnaps.com/2023/09/21/snapshot-marian-anderson-biography/

Transcript and original post: Langston Hughes: writer, “My People” & other works

Episode photo source: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Elizabeth Ann Hylton, NPG.2011.101