CONTENTS:

Star, Bright is probably my all time favorite short story, possibly because of the age at which I read it. It was published ca. 1955 in a compilation called The Mathematical Magpie, Clifton Fadiman, ed. This book (MM) was reprinted ca. 2005. At that time I purchased a copy, although I since lent it to someone and it was, resultantly, lost. I'll pick it up again one of these days.

The MM compilation consists of short stories and poetry, all with a mathematics theme of some sort, without requiring a deep knowledge of any particular branch of mathematics. Star, Bright can be understood by a typical teen but will likely not be of great interest to the typical teen.

I withdrew MM from my local public library in, perhaps, 1960. It is indicative of both the literary quality and the magical content of the story that, at age 62, I'm wistful to re-acquire the book and re-read the story. Other notable stories: The Pacifist, The Tachypomp. It's indicative of how often I withdrew that book from the library that, fifty years later, I remember the story titles. As well as one of its poems that I memorized at the time. ("I think that I shall never see a calculator made like me... A me that likes martinis dry, and on the rocks, a little rye... A me that looks at girls and such, but mostly girls, and very much... They make computers for a fee but only moms can make a me." I don't remember the author or title, and there are a few couplets missing.)

To anyone who has a really bright kid of age 10-12 who's into more than the latest phone app, MM is a must-get. I hope Star, Bright strikes some child's imagination with the impact with which it struck mine.