Imperfect Knowledge

by Richard Bronson

In planning a new collection of poems, one needs to ask, “How will this book be organized? Will it have a trajectory or consist of separate sections with different themes. A subject that I have long thought about is our limited knowledge and the concept of progress. What is our capacity to acquire knowledge, as individuals, as a species? We have only our five senses. Our lifespans are short. My medical practice today is quite different from that of my father’s, and working within the scope of this ignorance, one must try to do more good than harm. This book begins with “The Knowledge,” a poem that focuses on the discovery of spermatozoa, in 1683, when new observations were made that challenged current paradigms. It was a time when quality lenses were produced, allowing Leeuwenhoek to create a microscope and look at everything small. During this same period, Galileo designed a telescope and looked outward at the mountains of our moon and beyond. The title poem, “Imperfect Knowledge,” focuses on the author’s father as healer and patient. Other poems address knowledge gained through study, experiences with family, friends, and colleagues. They trace the author’s growing sense of uneasiness, noted explicitly in “First Do No Harm.” Finally, the poems touch on the knowledge we can never acquire in our Journey that ends in the unknowable.

107 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2021

About the author

Richard Bronson is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Acting Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, Interim Provost of the Metropolitan Campus, Director of Government Affairs, and Senior Executive Assistant to the President.

Antispin is his first novel. He also wrote eleven books in mathematics, some in their third edition with many translated into multiple languages. He has published children’s poetry in magazines, including Highlights for Children, and was on the editorial staff of the professional publications Simulation Magazine and SIAM News and the children’s magazine, Kids Club.

In 1994, Richard Bronson was awarded the Distinguished College or University Teaching award by the New Jersey Section of Mathematical Association of America. He also received the Fairleigh Dickinson University Distinguished Faculty Award for Research & Scholarship, the Distinguished Faculty Award for Service, and the University College Outstanding Teacher Award.