Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Midlife Calculus -- poems by Britt Kaufmann

     Today's featured poet, Britt Kaufmann, is not only a writer but also a graphic designer, a playwright, and "a lifelong reader and learner."  And a math tutor!  Out this month (from Press 53) is her mathy collection, Midlife Calculus -- a thoughtful and  fun-to-read collection that links math ideas to a variety of life's experiences.  

     Last February, I was introduced to Kaufmann's work when her book-title-poem, "Midlife Calculus," appeared in Scientific American.  I was delighted to also find her poem,  "Z-score of Zero" here in the April-May edition of MAA Focus and I was drawn to include it in this April, 2024 blog-posting.  Visit and enjoy!

     Midlife Calculus is available here.  And below are a couple of samples:    

     Hope for the Future     by Britt Kaufmann

In Math I
     --by the end of the year--
through sheer rote repetition:
practice,
some more practice,
quizzes, review,
tests,
and test corrections
the notion will finally take root:
the zeroes
are the solutions.

The Calculus of Literary Journals     by Britt Kaufmann

     After repeated rejections,
     the poet is pleased to discover her new work
     is supposed to be derivative.

Thank you, Britt Kaufman, for this thoughtful and thought-provoking collection!


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