In this 2019 interview conducted by Sarah Glaz for the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, poet and mathematician JoAnne Growney reflects on her journey navigating both disciplines. Growney, who earned a PhD in mathematics before completing an MFA in Creative Writing, discusses how her rural upbringing, formative teachers, and guiding philosophy that "everything connects" shaped her as a mathematical poet. The interview is interwoven with ten of her poems and touches on her blog Intersections – Poetry with Mathematics, her advocacy for women in STEM, and her belief that poetry and mathematics are not opposing ways of seeing the world, but deeply interconnected ones.
This was a genuinely delightful read. Growney's poems are threaded throughout the article, inviting pauses to reflect on meaning and moments of whimsy. I'll focus on the two stops that stayed with me most.
The poem "Four Teachers" (subtitled "The Ones I Best Remember") describes four very different educators. In the interview, Growney recalls a high school English teacher who would walk into class and say, "Guess what I watched on television last night?" — and then share something she'd learned from a TV show. The lesson Growney draws is simple: you can learn from everything. What struck me is how quietly powerful that model of teaching is. That teacher wasn't delivering a formal lesson on curiosity — she was living it out loud. It made me pause and ask myself: am I bringing that same energy into my classroom, or just delivering content? Honestly, it depends on the day. But my favourite moments are when I get to share some of my learning with my students. Demonstrating my role as a learner is something I hope I model for my students often.
The same poem also describes a professor that Growney actively disliked as the professor was demanding, error-prone on the blackboard, and exacting about writing perfect mathematical English. In the interview, she explains that this woman was "very important" to her, because it was in her class that she first began linking language and mathematics together. This thought hit me fairly hard because we tend to focus on the positive role models, mentors, and teachers that influence us. However, Growney makes a compelling argument that some of the important people in our lives are not necessarily those we liked. It reminds me that we can learn from all people, even if there are parts of them we seem to bristle against.
Throughout the interview, I kept returning to one question: what actually makes a poem mathematical? Growney's answer, as I understand it, isn't really about equations or numbers. Her ideal, she says, is a poem that uses mathematical terminology correctly — so that a reader who knows the math finds additional depth, while a reader who doesn't still finds a work of art. The poem about Hedy Lamarr, built around the concept of "perfect numbers," does exactly this. And the title "Four Teachers" kept pulling at me as a second reading too — "for teachers" — as though the poem were addressed outward as well as backward. Whether or not that's intentional, it enacts what Growney describes: language operating on more than one level at once. That, more than any formula, seems to be what makes a poem mathematical.
Can you think of a teacher — one you may not have liked or appreciated at the time — who you now recognize as having had a real impact on you? What did they do that mattered, even if it didn't feel that way then?
Glaz, S. (2019). Artist interview: JoAnne Growney. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 13(3), 243–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2018.1532869
Kristie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the thoughtful reflection and I found myself agreeing with many of the points you raised. I especially resonated with the part where you wondered whether we can be energetic all the time as teachers, or whether sometimes we simply need to deliver the content and get through the lesson. Throughout this program, we have been introduced to many new ideas about teaching mathematics. However, in practice, there are often times when we still need to focus on delivering the required curriculum. That being said, as Dr. Gerofsky mentioned during last week’s Zoom session, the goal is to try new approaches and think about mathematics differently, rather than throwing away the strategies that are already working well.
Your point about how people we dislike or struggle to appreciate can sometimes have a strong impact on us was also very striking. I think this might be because those experiences often leave a stronger impression on us and push us to reflect more deeply. For example, we sometimes remember people who have hurt us more clearly than those who have helped us. Like you mentioned, we do not only learn from positive role models, but we can also learn important lessons from everyone we encounter.
Kristie, I really liked this week's readings too and the lightness I felt while engaging in the activities.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience in trying to define "what constitutes mathematical poetry", and was excited at the idea of many definitions and interpretations. I quite like how you dug into this interpretation and pointed out the operation of language in more than one way. In a traditional poem we see figurative language that works to contain deeper meaning than just the face value of the words. I really like the idea of there being a mathematical variation of figurative language. Aside from speaking in metaphor or simile about mathematics or utilizing mathematical language, perhaps there is something uniquely mathematical.
In my own journey of encountering people I like and dislike, I often seek lessons especially when facing an adverse setting.
I had a teacher who I found quite intimidating in 7th grade. The content of conversations they had with us were often scary for me. I was relatively sheltered, and he was an abrupt ex-military guy who would read stories about "100 dumb ways to die". I was sensitive, and this bothered me.
As an adult I take this memory and adapt my own teaching practices when exposing students to literature or topics that can be sensitive. Recognizing that sensitivity varies vastly amongst students.
Kristie, I really enjoyed reading about your Fib poem evening with your family. It was lovely to see how the Fibonacci structure became a way for everyone to express something different, from your reflections about stress to the playful cake poems from your boys. It really shows how mathematical structure doesn’t limit creativity but can actually invite it. Your question about whether the Fibonacci sequence feels satisfying because it mirrors natural growth patterns also made me pause and think. Experiences like this seem like a great way to help students see that mathematics can connect to real life and personal expression, not just classroom problems.
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