It is often said that the divide between poetry and mathematics lies in the disjunct between the rational and the romantic.

On Feb. 25, these two disparities came together during the launch of The Shape of Content, a book comprised of drama, short fiction, critical essays and poetry that are all, in some way, relevant to science and mathematics.

Published by A.K. Peters and edited by Chandler Davis, Marjorie Wikler Senechal and Jan Zwicky, the book serves as a vehicle to showcase work done in workshops held at the Banff Center, exclusively for those who are interested in writing creatively about science and math.

The reading, held in UVic’s Social Sciences and Mathematics (SSM) building was attended primarily by students in the science and math faculties. After a charming little skit that captured most of the audience but left many writing department cronies a bit baffled (the metric system as sketch comedy?), a few of those published in the book read selections from their work.

Sarah Burgess, a graduate from the UVic writing program and currently a grad student at the University of Toronto, read a few poems to a rapt audience. The only noise in the room was the occasional acknowledging chuckle at a mention of a scientific “inside joke.”

Chandler Davis, the chief organizer of the Banff workshops, explained that many of the pieces in the book may require some re-reading.

“Finding mathematics [in the pieces] requires subtlety,” he said as he signed a copy of the book for an enthusiastic fan.

As he elaborated upon the workshopping process, he made it clear that those who attended were “sensible and able to discuss” their work.

While this may or may not have been a veiled jab at those who attend workshops in a university setting, it was clear from his electric demeanor and rapid way of speaking that Davis was equally passionate about both math and poetry.

As the audience filtered out the lecture hall, equal parts stunned and thrilled, a few lingered, hoping to chat about what exactly drives both mathematicians and poets to write and rewrite problems, to hypothesize about the “big ideas.”

It may be as simple as what Phillip Holmes, the MC for the event believes: “If you really want to write something, you can do it.”

The Shape of Content is available at the UVic bookstore and from the A.K. Peters website at www.akpeters.com.