Ever since the Poligon Educational project debuted, I set up a goal of making my presence visible, my voice heard, starting with the online medium, where it is arguably the easiest. Not always the easiest being heard or read, but anyway, the easiest being there. One of the reasons why I felt this was important is not that I always feel the urge to share some wisdom or in the mood of showing (off) my life, but a simpler and rather selfish motivation is the case. I think what is common to all those who publish anything is the desire for an echo or a response. Putting the thing out there is the start, like a first line in the hope of a dialog. And this, as the song goes, could be the start of something big.
Hence my foray into publishing some ideas, sometimes draped as lessons, minuscule lectures, other times more infused with my own thoughts and intentions. This is what started this newsletter and this is also how it will continue. Only that I am announcing an expansion, so to speak.
Literature has been an immense part in my life and in my becoming whatever it is that I am now. I have read many types of books and I feel that all of them have given me something. At times, there were grand ideas or scientific facts that left me in awe. Other times I may have been in disagreement, which gave me the opportunity of thinking about counterarguments to support my position in an imaginary debate with the author or at least as a simple reply to an imaginary question Why didn’t you like it? I’ve been thinking more and more about how to organize my reactions and my comments to the books I read and I started writing them, sometimes in brief notes, other times in longer essays. Actually I think I started with Goodreads reviews, which anyone could read on my profile. Then I went to a reading journal, and I always like it to force myself into organizing my ideas. Don’t just say That’s a good/bad book, I dis/liked it!, but explain. This way, I don’t only exercise original judgment, but also I get to revisit the book and most of the times, understand it better.
This is the context in which I announce two important pieces of news. The first of them is directed to my Romanian readers and it brings me great pleasure and honor to announce that my first literary essay was published by the cultural magazine Dilema Veche. In my article, I discuss two short stories which contain mathematical and scientific elements. One of them is from the debut book by Gabriel Florin Macsim — the book is titled Vezi mîinile mele (See my hands) and the story I chose is Mesaj de întîmpinare (Welcome message) — and the other is by the Nobel laureate Alice Munro and it is the story which gives the title to her 2009 book, Too Much Happiness. Unfortunately, the first book is unavailable in English and I don’t think it will be translated (at least not anytime soon), so for the time being, both for my article and for this story, there’s only the option of computer translation.
With such a start, I can only continue in the same vein and bring you the second piece of news. And that is that I intend to publish in this newsletter bits of my reading journal. The bits part is essential, mainly for two reasons. First is that I will also write about books I am currently reading, thus putting on paper (well, on the screen) thoughts and impressions as they come. And second is that more times than not, those thoughts will outnumber the actual impressions or any kind of review. That is, I do not intend to publish book reviews; I don’t know how to write them and I don’t think I’m interested. Neither will there be book recommendations, at least in the proper sense of the word. The point of my writing will be to express my thoughts that spark while I’m reading a book and highlight some connections or related content I think is worth reading for a greater picture.
Anyway, I guess the best way is to actually start doing it and while I can’t promise a fixed schedule, I will do my best to keep things going.
Another important thing to add is that the usual content of this newsletter, that is the (hopefully popular) scientific bits and pieces will be back soon. The main issue we’re facing is that we are trying to expand our team, so if you are interested in a collaboration, drop us a line and find out more!