Luminosity is the guiding word for this book. Redniss says on her website that in addition to the story of the Curies' romance, "I was also interested in the way that Marie and Pierre's story could illuminate questions that resonate far beyond the life of the couple. In the century since the Curies began their work, the world has struggled with nuclear weapons proliferation, debated the role of radiation in medical treatment, and pondered nuclear energy as a solution to climate change." To research the book, Redniss visited Warsaw to see the house where Marie Curie was born and the Curie Institut in Paris to interview the Curies' granddaughter. She also traveled to Hiroshima to interview atomic bomb survivors, to the Nevada Test Site to talk with nuclear weapons specialists, to San Bernadino, California, to speak with an oncologist exploring innovative radiation treatment, and to the Idaho National Laboratory's Center for Space Nuclear Research to learn how nuclear power and propulsion can enable space exploration.
Form follows function in Radioactive. Redniss created the artwork using a process called cyanotype, in which paper is coated with light-sensitive chemicals and exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays to produce a deep blue color reminiscent of the luminous blue glow emitted by radium. If after a late-night read you place the book on your nightstand and turn out the lights, you will find that the cover glows in the dark.
Marie Curie wrote of radium's glow, "These gleamings, which seemed suspended in darkness, stirred us with new emotion and enchantment." Can this be said of Redniss' book?
The New York Public Library created an exhibit about Radioactive that took viewers through the creative process behind the book and displayed objects from the collection that influenced her work. Visit the New York Public Library's website to view an online, interactive exhibit about the book created by Redniss' students at Parsons the New School for Design that continues to interpret the themes of love, science, and discovery. You can even create your own virtual cyanotype print!
We hope you will join the conversation: Tuesday, August 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Main Library; Thursday, August 23, at 11:00 a.m. at West Ashley Branch Library; and here on the blog.
