{"id":1174,"date":"2026-05-27T12:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2026-05-27T12:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:14:14","slug":"the-write-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/the-write-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"The Write Stuff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/90\/Goddard-clip-NYT.jpg\" alt=\"New York Times article about Goddard's work with the Headline: &quot;Believes Rocket Can Reach Moon.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-1223\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">Robert Goddard was no stranger to media coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During his lifetime, the Clark alumnus and professor was the subject of many breathless accounts detailing his efforts to fire a rocket into space. Goddard was both a skeptic and opportunist when it came to the attention, recognizing that the press, while a distraction, could also be employed as an ally to raise his professional profile and enhance his visibility with potential funders. With his wife Esther as his demi-PR agent, he cultivated a press-friendly persona as the dogged, mild-mannered physicist who dared to act on his most fantastical aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One hundred years after Goddard\u2019s maiden launch of a liquid-fueled rocket, the scientist continued to attract media interest. In the days surrounding the March 16 anniversary of the launch, Goddard was a very familiar presence, with stories appearing in major media outlets like The New York Times, The Boston Globe, ABC News, and WBUR in Boston. The Clark faculty and staff who were interviewed included Physics Professor Chuck Agosta, who spoke about Goddard\u2019s astounding science acumen, and Catherine Stebbins, digital projects librarian, who shared details of Goddard\u2019s remarkable life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a221fda275d9&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a221fda275d9\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"512\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-id=\"1176\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/90\/Goddard-clip-4.jpg\" alt=\"New York Time article about Goddard's work with the headline: &quot;Hopes to reach moon with giant rocket&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-1176\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a221fda27cf6&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a221fda27cf6\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"800\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-id=\"1177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/90\/Goddard-clip-2.jpg\" alt=\"Newspaper article about Goddard's work with the headline: &quot;Meteor-like rocket startles Worcester Clark Professor's Test of New Propellant to Explore Air Strata Brings Police to Scene&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-1177\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a221fda28329&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a221fda28329\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1329\" height=\"1800\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-id=\"1178\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/90\/Goddard-Moon-Rocket-clip.jpg\" alt=\"Newspaper article about Goddard's work with the headline: &quot;Prof. Goddard's Moon Rocket: plans now complete to shoot his projectile from Earth to the moon which will require a two day's journey through space and will strike the planet with an explosive flash the astronomers hope to see through their telescopes.\" class=\"wp-image-1178\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During his lifetime, Robert Goddard was the subject of many breathless accounts detailing his efforts to fire a rocket into space. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":1229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[35],"departments":[5],"issues":[32],"class_list":["post-1174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-media","departments-red-square","issues-spring-2026"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Write Stuff | Clark Magazine | Clark University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/magazine\/the-write-stuff\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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