&Now 2019 Conference

Poets and witers have always grappled with the science of their times. (In some cases, the art works have outlasted the scientific theories.) In the 19th century, poets tended to see science as a matter-of-fact enemy of the imagination. Blake saw Newton as a nemesis. But times have changed. In the 20th century physics showed us that nature is much stranger and more paradoxical than we imagined. In the 21st century, biology has demonstrated that natural systems are much more complexly and delicately intertwined than we knew. Lately poets and other writers have been drawn to discovering what they can learn from physics, biology, and systems analysis as well as how they can interact with this knowledge in their creative work. This panel will bring together three writers whose work engages with transdisciplinary investigations into shared principles of literature and science. They will share their results.