Description

What happens when cutting-edge science, climate politics, corporate greed, and murder collide off the coast of Cape Cod? In this episode of In Conversation, Terry Shepherd sits down with award-winning journalist and author Judy Foreman to discuss her new thriller, The Scallop Plot.

Judy shares how she transitioned from a career rooted in hard journalistic facts to crafting suspenseful fiction, all while keeping the science in her novels 100% accurate. The story follows Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Samantha Fuller and a fiercely determined Cape Cod fisherwoman as they uncover a deadly scheme involving offshore wind power, genetically altered scallops, and CRISPR gene editing.

Beyond the thriller, Terry and Judy dive deep into the real-world issues that inspired the book, the current state of the media landscape, and Judy's profound personal journey.

Key Topics Discussed:

• How Judy's real-life Cape Cod handywoman—a former crane operator and scallop fisherwoman—inspired one of the book's main characters. 
• The fascinating and terrifying realities of CRISPR gene editing, including its medical promise and ethical boundaries. 
• The nuanced debate surrounding offshore wind farms and how right-wing fossil fuel "dark money" frequently funds what appear to be local protests. 
• The dangerous polarization of modern media, the rise of disinformation, and why consumers must "consider the source and follow the buck." 
• Judy's powerful memoir, Let the More Loving One Be Me: My Journey from Trauma to Freedom, which chronicles her lifelong journey of healing from childhood sexual abuse through therapy and love. 
• Why exercise is crucial for brain health and how it produces BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a topic from Judy's non-fiction book Exercise Is Medicine. 

About Our Guest: Judy Foreman is a former health columnist for The Boston Globe who has earned more than 50 journalism awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held positions at Harvard Medical School, MIT, and Brandeis University. 

Connect with Judy Foreman:

• Visit her official website to learn more about her fiction, memoirs, and non-fiction work at judyforeman.com. 

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