My inspiration comes from my alumni at The University of Virginia, along with my six sisters: Bernita, Gail, Donna, Venus, DeNichole and last but not least, Wanda! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The Puzzle of Poetry offers students a readable, reliable guide to understanding poetry. Instead of carving poems up into their elements, The Puzzle of Poetry describes how experienced readers of poems go about understanding them. Each line, sentence, or syntactical unit in a poem is a clue to the “puzzle.” As with crossword puzzles, figuring out the answer to one clue can help you figure out the answer to others. This book teaches the reader to check what they know in a poem against what else they know to find meaning, a systematic but creative approach that can help language to come alive. Each chapter contains a lively and personal discussion of one part of the art of reading poetry; a short guide to writing about poetry is also included. The book introduces students to a variety of poems, from Anglo-Saxon verse to Hamilton and Jay-Z.

The name 'Thoughtings' was inspired by a 5-year old who, when asked to explain what thinking is without using the word 'think' said 'It's when you're thoughting'. Children love pondering big philosophical questions like 'Does the universe end?', 'Where is my mind?' and 'Can something be true and false at the same time?'. These verses capture that impulse in the growing mind and feed it further. These are not poems or, at least, not in the traditional sense of the word... They are a kind of poem specifically designed around a particular puzzle or problem that might be thought more philosophy than poetry. Here's to the joy of puzzlement!

Algorithms are the hidden methods that computers apply to process information and make decisions. Nowadays, our lives are run by algorithms. They determine what news we see. They influence which products we buy. They suggest our dating partners. They may even be determining the outcome of national elections. They are creating, and destroying, entire industries. Despite mounting concerns, few know what algorithms are, how they work, or who created them. Poems that Solve Puzzles tells the story of algorithms from their ancient origins to the present day and beyond. The book introduces readers to the inventors and inspirational events behind the genesis of the world's most important algorithms. Professor Chris Bleakley recounts tales of ancient lost inscriptions, Victorian steam-driven contraptions, top secret military projects, penniless academics, hippy dreamers, tech billionaires, superhuman artificial intelligences, cryptocurrencies, and quantum computing. Along the way, the book explains, with the aid of clear examples and illustrations, how the most influential algorithms work. Compelling and impactful, Poems that Solve Puzzles tells the story of how algorithms came to revolutionise our world.

The Complete Works of Robert Browning: Poems, Plays, Letters & Biographies in One Edition is a seminal collection encompassing the diverse talents of the renowned Victorian poet Robert Browning. This comprehensive volume showcases Browning's masterful use of dramatic monologues, intricate narratives, and profound exploration of human psychology. The wealth of poems, plays, and letters included in this edition invites readers to delve into Browning's complex and intellectual style, which influenced the development of modern poetry and literature. The biographies provide valuable insight into Browning's life and the creative process behind his works. This collection is a must-read for anyone interested in Victorian literature and the evolution of poetic form. Robert Browning, a prolific poet of the Victorian era, was known for his innovative use of dramatic monologues and psychological depth. His works reflects the intellectual and social climate of his time, addressing themes of love, faith, and society with a keen eye for human psychology. Browning's unique style and narrative techniques have solidified his place as one of the most influential poets of the 19th century. I highly recommend The Complete Works of Robert Browning to readers who appreciate profound poetry, intricate narratives, and psychological insight. This collection offers a comprehensive look at Browning's oeuvre and provides a valuable perspective on Victorian literature and poetry.

This book is not simply poetry but a collection of works from various times in my life. The book is very revealing as an inward voice of what was occurring at any particular time and place. It expresses the timeless pain from childhood loss to the later coming of age in not the best of circumstances. It's my way of telling a story in snippets of time. These are words of expression from an often colored and sometimes troubled past. It is the authors hope that one can see in the writing that love does win out, and the worst of circumstances can become something thought provoking and meaningful. These are truly pieces of my puzzle in poetry.