Summary

“How to Make Love to a Physicist” (94) is written in the second person, addressing a “you” who turns out to be a character named Lyra James. It begins with a question: “How do you make love to a physicist?” (95). The narrator says you do it on Pi Day, and describes a scenario in which “you,” an art teacher, meet a physicist at a STEAM conference. You see him coming down the escalator, and later at a breakout session called “Arts Integration and Global Citizenry” (95).

He introduces himself as Eric Turman, and you introduce yourself, Lyra James. He compares you to the constellation Lyra. You learn he is a physicist who serves as chair of an education programs committee. He tells you that he also does research to test his own scientific theories. You tell him that you want...