poet.html

the “Poet Larry-ate” side of…

LARRY LESSER

For a more up-to-date version of this page, please see https://larrylesser.com/poet-larry-ate/

Award-winning educator Larry Lesser is also an award-winning songwriter and poet. Two decades after taking an upper-division poetry seminar from Susan Wood, he was inspired to resume writing poetry after moving to El Paso in 2004. Most of his published poetry (below) connects to mathematics, statistics, or the teaching and learning of such content, and some poems have been read at (inter)national meetings (e.g., this), podcast, or NPR radio interview. He has organized (with Gizem Karaali and Douglas Norton) evenings of mathematical poetry/art at recent national conferences (e.g., 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 Joint Mathematics Meetings) and judged (with Gizem Karaali and JoAnne Growney) the inaugural (2019) AMS student poetry contest. His STEM-related poems/songs are part of his overall efforts (some funded by NSF) to humanize STEM, reduce anxiety, and support student learning and he gave a lecture/reading/performance at UTEP sponsored by UTEP’s Dept. of Creative Writing, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, and the ORSP Interdisciplinary Research Program.

47 math/statistics/education poems

(Jan. 2020). Statistical Poetry. J. of Humanistic Mathematics, 10(1), 533-539. Introductory remarks and

these 8 poems: Systematic Sample from a Children’s Song. By Design. Stochastic Terrorism. Fail to Reject. Fast Facts. This Function Dysfunction. Multivariate. Worry Lines.

(Jan. 2020). first place (non-student category) in ASA Day Haiku Contest (see p. 2 of Jan. 2020 Amstat News no. 511 or associated blogpost )

(fall/winter 2019). Unit Circle Words. Visual poem with lesson plan questions and answers. Texas

Mathematics Teacher, 65(2), 15, 22. [extended from Lesser’s March 15, 2019 entry on Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

http://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2019/03/unit-circle-word-by-lawrence-mark-lesser.html

(June 20, 2019). Di/vision. Teaching for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics, 10(1), 16.

(appeared online April 5, 2019). Vertical, The Mathematical Intelligencer, https://rdcu.be/buWtI

(June 2018). Snowflake. The Mathematical Intelligencer, 40(2), 81.

(May 1, 2018). Variation. Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

http://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2018/05/variation-by-larry-lesser.html

(April 2018). Mindful Means. Amstat News, no. 490, p. 2.

http://magazine.amstat.org/blog/2018/04/01/mindful-means/

[republished 5/8/18 on Intersections: Poetry with Mathematics (math poetry blog edited by JoAnne Growney): https://poetrywithmathematics.blogspot.com/2018/05/statistics-and-mindfulness.html ]

(Feb. 8, 2018). Gender Identity. Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

http://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2018/02/gender-identity-by-larry-lesser.html

(Jan. 2018). 3/14/15. On p. 456 of “Math in Seventeen Syllables: A Folder of Mathematical Haiku”,

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 8(1), 441-472. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol8/iss1/22/

[was announced on 4/8/15 on Math Matters at Taylor and Francis social media as a winner of

the 2015 Pi Day (of the Century) haiku contest]

(Jan. 2018). 17. On p. 456 of “Math in Seventeen Syllables: A Folder of Mathematical Haiku”, Journal of

Humanistic Mathematics, 8(1), 441-472. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol8/iss1/22/

(Jan. 2018). Transformed. On p. 456 of “Math in Seventeen Syllables: A Folder of Mathematical Haiku”,

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 8(1), 441-472. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol8/iss1/22/

(Dec. 2017). A Fallacy Not Assessed by Kahneman and Tversky. The Mathematical Intelligencer, 39(4),

66.

(Nov. 2017). Test for Normality. Radical Statistics, no. 118, pp. 34-35.

(Nov. 20, 2017). Cantor's Ternary Palindrome. Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

http://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2017/11/cantors-ternary-palindrome-by-larry.html;

[anthologized on p. 59 of Sarah Glaz (Ed.), Bridges 2018 Poetry Anthology]

(Oct. 2017). Diameter. Texas Mathematics Teacher, 63(2), 14, 31 [poem and accompanying classroom

questions and answers]. [anthologized on p. 60 of Sarah Glaz (Ed.), Bridges 2018 Poetry Anthology]

(Sept. 17, 2017). Forebear Square. Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

http://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2017/09/forebear-square-by-lawrence-lesser.html;

[anthologized on p. 59 of Sarah Glaz (Ed.), Bridges 2018 Poetry Anthology]

(Sept. 2017). New Normal. Radical Statistics, no. 117, poem on the cover [accompanied by the

reflection “New Normal?” on pp. 31-33]; poem reprised on cover of issue 118 as well

(Aug. 4, 2017). MEANings. Mathematical Poetry (blog edited by Kaz Maslanka):

https://mathematicalpoetry.blogspot.com/2017/08/meanings-by-larry-lesser.html

[republished 7/9/18 on Intersections: Poetry with Mathematics (math poetry blog edited by JoAnne Growney): https://poetrywithmathematics.blogspot.com/2018/07/what-does-mean-mean.html ; republished in summer 2019 CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly, 66(3), 242.

(April 2017). Permutation. https://www.causeweb.org/cause/resources/fun/poems/permutation

(April 2017). Rhyming without replacement.

https://www.causeweb.org/cause/resources/fun/poems/rhyming-without-replacement

(Jan. 2017). Moving Between Inner and Outer Worlds. J. of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 275-284. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol7/iss1/21/ Introductory remarks and these 10 poems:

Discovery. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 276.

Business Statistics. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 277.

Julia. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 278.

[republished 3/16/17 at Intersections: Poetry with Mathematics (math poetry blog edited by JoAnne Growney): https://poetrywithmathematics.blogspot.com/2017/03/julia-set-aside-gender-roles.html ]

L'Hospital. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 279.

The Zero. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 280.

Availability Heuristic. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 281.

[Availability Heuristic republished Feb. 2017 by CAUSE]

Polymath Aftermath. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 282.

P(A|A) = 1. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 283.

[P(A|A)=1 adapted and republished Feb. 2017 by CAUSE]

The Algebra Teacher Writes In Verse. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 283.

Triangle. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7(1), 284.

(2016). Chi-ku. https://www.causeweb.org/cause/resources/fun/poems/chi-ku

(Spring 2016). Margins. Talking Writing. http://talkingwriting.com/larry-lesser-poem

[anthologized in Sarah Glaz (Ed.), Bridges 2016 Poetry Anthology (p. 62). Phoenix, AZ: Tessellations Publishing.]

(Jan. 2013). Poetic Reactions. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 3(1), 156-161.

http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol3/iss1/13/ Postscript and these 3 poems:

Dogs Know. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 3(1), 156.

[“Dogs Know” was read near the end of 4/13/13 interview on regional NPR station,

anthologized in Sarah Glaz (Ed.), Bridges 2016 Poetry Anthology (p. 61). Phoenix, AZ: Tessellations Publishing, and noted in a 2017 JMA review of this anthology]

50-50. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 3(1), 157.

(A student comes to terms with) the ‘M word’…. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 3(1), 158-159.

Republished 3/31/18 on Samuel Hansen’s podcast Relatively Prime (Diegetic Plots, Chapter 3)

(Winter 2010). Confounded. The Mathematical Intelligencer, 32(4), 53.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00283-009-9127-x (reprinted in fall 2019 Teaching

Statistics)

(Nov. 2010). May the door of this classroom…. The Teaching Professor, 24(9), 4.

[republished 6/27/14 & 8/9/18: http://facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/opening-intentions-first-day-class/ ]

(2009). Denominator. Journal of the Association of Mexican American Educators, 3(1), 60-61.

http://amaejournal.utsa.edu/index.php/amae/issue/view/11

(2008). Statistic Acrostic [co-written with Dennis Pearl]

https://www.causeweb.org/cause/resources/fun/poems/statistic-acrostic

[republished in 2014 in Intersections: Poetry with Mathematics (math poetry blog edited by

JoAnne Growney) at

http://poetrywithmathematics.blogspot.com/2014/10/abc-of-statistics.html]

[note: some of Lesser’s 90+ published math/statistics lyrics have some poetic features (such as http://scholarship.claremont.edu/hmnj/vol1/iss19/13/ or http://scholarship.claremont.edu/hmnj/vol1/iss19/9/) and

Lesser had an article on lyrics in a special poetry focus issue of Journal of Mathematics and the Arts]

14 other poems

(December 2019). The Situation. 2019 Mizmor Poetry Anthology (editors Michal Mahgerefteh & David

King), p. 34. Norfolk, VA: Poetica Publishing.

(Summer 2014). Sweet. Poetica Magazine: Contemporary Jewish Writing, pp. 42-43.

(Fall 2013). Hypothesis. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 19, pp. 66-67.

(Summer 2012). Last Supper. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 18, p. 38.

(May 2012). Learning. Drash: Northwest Mosaic, 6, pp. 64-65.

(Fall 2010). Test. Río Grande Review: A Bilingual Journal of Contemporary Literature and Arts,

No. 36, 89-90.

(July 2010). Logic. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 16, p. 21

(Summer 2008). Arrangement. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 14, pp. 103-104.

(Summer 2007). Leaving White’s City. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 13, pp. 80-81.

(Spring 2006). Wheel. BorderSenses Literary Magazine, No. 11, pp. 34-35.

(Fall 2005). Burp. BorderSenses Literary Magazine [a 2-nation, 11-state journal], No. 10, 81-82.

(2005). Shrink Rap. The Ink Spot: Highlights of the Ink Poetry Contest 2005, p. 18. Las Cruces,

NM: The Ink. 3^rd-place-award.

(2005). Something to Remember. The Ink Spot: Highlights of the Ink Poetry Contest 2005, p. 26.

Las Cruces, NM: The Ink.

(April 1986). When in Rome. University Blue, vol. 3 (p. 29). Houston: Rice University.