BRIDGES Math-Poetry in Halifax -- July 27-31, 2023

     BRIDGES, an annual conference that celebrates connections between mathematics and the arts, will be held this year in Halifax Nova Scotia, July 27-31.  (Conference information available at this link.)  A poetry reading is one of the special event at BRIDGES and Sarah Glaz, retired math professor and poet, is one of the chief organizers of the event.  Here at her University of Connecticut website, Glaz has posted information about the July 30 reading along with bios and sample poems from each of the poets.   For poets not part of this early registration, an Open Mic will be available (if interested, contact Glaz -- contact information is available here at her website.)

Here is a CENTO I have composed using a line of poetry from each of the sample poems (found online at this link) by the 2023 BRIDGES poets:

Sarah Glaz, Madhur Anand, Tatania Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Marion Deutsche Cohen, Carol Dorf, Susan Gerofsky, Lisa Lajeunesse, Marco Lucchesi, E. R, Lutken, Alice Major, Kaz Maslanka, Doug Norton, Amy Uyematsu.

     Only mathematics can make me see clearly –
     Not obvious, but a picture starts to emerge,
     Perfect order and desire for scientific knowledge –
     “Math is what, if everything else disappeared, would still be there.”

     When counting steps on the walk to the sea,
     My eyes scan cross-cutting fragments of diagonals;
     Symbols came alive – writhed, then leapt from the page
     Open to see the stars beyond the milky way.

     A low plainsong in clear translational symmetry,
     An opening where light will come to touch – 
     Emptiness divided by emptiness multiplied
     Seeing music as geometry –

     It took us a long time to discover the number zero! 

This CENTO was assembled by JoAnne Growney.

A BRIDGES 2023 Poetry Anthology (edited by Sarah Glaz and published by Tessellations) is forthcoming soon.