History Lesson

In her article, "Epic Science," Anna Lena Phillips provides a brief history of poetry and science's intersection. 

Source

She notes, "In 1791, in his verses about plants, Erasmus Darwin imputed emotions and desires to them. It’s perhaps an understatement to say that, however charming, something like this would not fly today. But in the early 1800s, such fancy was not so far-fetched. According to Hugues Marchal, a professor of literature at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, scientific poetry was seen as a way of promoting the science it described."

She also provides links to papers on the topic.

Source

For example, the author of ThermoPoetics: Energy in Victorian Literature and Science, Barri J. Gold, states that “I think that we have certain socially engrained beliefs, held by scientists and nonscientists alike, that science can’t be explained in ordinary language to an intelligent nonexpert,” she says. “I don’t agree with that."

See Phillips' history and the related papers here.

Success

The second Poetry for Scientists meeting went well--each member shared their ideas and interests, themes they wish to explore, and received feedback from everyone else.

Source

 Perhaps the most striking, beautiful aspect of this was that, no matter the subject matter, each idea exemplified an intersection of different sciences, creative mediums, and personal experience. Furthermore, every member made valuable contributions to the exploration of each topic.

Source

Every member discussed some idea or subject that interests them, and that they would like to explore through creative writing. Topics included simulation theory; adaptive plants as metaphor for attachment theory; the complex relationship between society and mathematics; the tension between fishers, the environmental impact of fishing, and culture; mathematical convergence as metaphor; the mind-body theory in poetic form;  IVF and its ethical and social implications; climate and society; the separation of implication and cause in psychology (feelings versus numbers); different types of infinity, as well as some fiction work.

Source

This extremely diverse and intriguing range of topics demonstrates perfectly what PFS strives to be: a place where seemingly distinct fields of study intersect, expand, and impact one another in a way that fosters deeper understanding, broader worldview, and a greater appreciation for other fields.

Creative writers and members who have focused in literary studies also provide expansive insight into how to explore these topics in a way that is accessible, clear, and engaging.

Conclusions:

• There will be NO MEETING Monday, February 18 because of President's Day
• All members are encouraged to email their bios and a description of their theme/project/interests to kmccobb@mills.edu. These will be posted on a page here.
• This club was an EXCELLENT idea. 

Source

Next Meeting 2/11/13

Our next meeting will be this Monday night, from 6-8 PM in Vera Long 140!

Source

Whether you want to be a more creative scientist or a more scientific writer or artist, we welcome you.

Please join us as we discuss ideas for member work, with the goal of developing each person's themes and direction. We will also be sharing more poetic science material and doing a quickwrite via prompts.

Newcomers and members from all majors and interests welcome!

Source

[Please bring writing materials, any interesting/creative/eloquent or otherwise successful pieces of scientific non-fiction or related fiction, and a respectful ear.]

A Fine Example

From looking at its face we had inferred that the Moon's heart is small and dead; but this is not to say that its face has no properties; not even the most stuporous face has no properties. The moonscape is pleated and rumpled, with rilles and ridges and craters and crevices and darknesses and brightnesses. Except for some meteor-made bruises, though, its features have not changed for three billion years; they are memorials of an ancient vim. Once the Moon was welling up from inside, jutting into volcanoes from the force of its own melting, cracking at the rind from its deep inner shifts. Now it wears the same glassy expression eon after eon, like a taxidermied antelope. The Moon is a never-brimming eye, a never-whistling teakettle; and it shadows the very flower of planets. 

Source

     To see what we mean when we say, "Our purpose is meant to appeal to our natural propensity to use metaphor and simile as we do daily in colloquial speech, to describe concepts, theories and philosophies that've been previously rendered inaccessible to the non-expert (layman) and to do so in an artistic, dramatic manner..." please read the beautiful, tragic, and scientifically correct description of the moon and its relationship to Earth and the sun written by Amy Leach, presented in full at the following URL:

http://www.apublicspace.org/back_issues/issue_7/sail_on_my_little_honey_bee.html

    This piece is moving, eloquent, and extremely informative, thus presenting a fine example of what we strive to achieve. 

What Are We?

Our purpose is to integrate art & science, and to employ the various techniques utilized in poetry and creative writing to create compelling works of nonfiction that the reader can both relate to and learn from.  It is to discover the multitude points of intersection between various, seemingly unrelated, subject matters and to show where they overlap and also at what point they diverge.   Our purpose is meant to appeal to our natural propensity to use metaphor and simile as we do daily in colloquial speech, to describe concepts, theories and philosophies that've been previously rendered inaccessible to the non-expert (layman) and to do so in an artistic, dramatic manner, such that the possibilities to learn something new and to integrate it into our knowledge and worldview grow exponentially.

Mostly though our purpose is to move you and to move each other so that if we gain enough momentum by doing this, then maybe none of will get stuck, or stay stuck for so long that we stagnate and forget what it's like to be impassioned and alive and changing all the time.