neuropoetics
I would like to find poems written by neuroscientists (primarily) and
also poems about neuroscience. I was intrigued in reading
Sherrington's book of verse "The Assaying of Brabantius", and I count
as a friend Ted Melnechuk, who has written some verse as well.
I asked Russell Johnson, who had several amusing suggestions:
James W. Papez, "Fragments of Verse"
S. Weir Mitchell probably churned out verse?
Sir Henry Head (a neurologist who could have been a poet) wrote several
volumes of poems;
Gertrude Stein (who could have been a
neuroanatomist/neuropathologist)...
Russell also comments: "Of course, nearly every neuroscientist has
written _some_ poetry--if only several stanzas of verse as a serious or
satirical tribute for a mentor's or colleague's birthday, promotion,
retirement, festschrift celebration, or memorial service. So, you will
need to set a threshold or issue some qualifiers ("verse must be
published", etc.). And are you looking for non-English language
poetry, too?"
Here I would say I would be amused by unpublished verse if it has some
poetic value and the author has a neuro-link. And as for non-English,
well, I am limited in what I can appreciate! But I am curious about
the possibilities.
Many thanks!
Mary Harrington
The brain is wider than the sky,
For, put them side by side--
The one the other does contain,
And more, and you besides.
Emily Dickinson
Neuroscience Program
Dept. of Psychology
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
USA
Tel: (413) 585-3925
Fax: (413) 585-3786
mharring@smith.edu
http://www.umass.edu/neuro/faculty/harrington.html