Mathematics

For the past few years, I have been trying to create some synergy between my writing and mathematics careers. I feel that (whether we know it or not) all of us have some innate wiring for mathematics. A bad experience early on can often short-circuit this wiring, but even then, there's something within us that will respond to mathematics when presented in a user-friendly, unpressured way. So I've been giving talks about math in unlikely situations: writers' and artists' colonies, retirement communities, even literary conferences. The response has really been very positive (I'd even call it enthusiastic—are TV hosts listening?). It is in this spirit of mathematical outreach that I invite you to explore the links on this page.

Click here to watch a video of a presentation I give on infinity—a deep and intriguing subject, which needs nothing more than knowledge of decimals and fractions.		Listen to me talk with Sheilah Kast of NPR about mathematics and math anxiety.
Click here to read an excerpt of “The Tolman Trick,” a short story I wrote about mathematicians. The complete story is available in Issue 1 of the journal Subtropics.		And finally, my academic website explains what I do as a mathematician, some of my work in middle and high schools, and interesting "math and creativity" courses I've developed at my university.