Spectral Lines: Poems about Scientists

At the intersection of science and poetry, strange things happen. There exists such a bizarre human experience and shared understanding, that we can’t help but admire and celebrate it. It’s transcendent—the crossover of discovery and beauty. The physical solid realism and the ethereal intangible ideas. The inexplicable, the long-desired solutions, the struggle that comes in between. Exploring this intersection with 69 poems by 62 poets, this anthology is nothing if not transcendent in its own right. Each poem is written about an individual scientist, the fundamentals and atmosphere of each scientist—something humanistic that breathes life into his being, into her work, into their experiment. From microbiologist parents to role-model mentors to LGBT kinship with ostracized queerness to the women who’ve been written out of discoveries to the underdogs overlooked for Nobels, the pieces are searching and full of light, passionate and full of awe.