Danielle Vanzura

Danielle Vanzura (1895–1933) was a poet, writer, and mathematician. She is most well known for her whimsically-written thesis, Probability as the Modern Deity.

Early life
Not much is known of Vanzura's early life. Her parents are speculated to have immigrated from Poland to Michigan.

Literary career
Vanzura held a deep appreciation for Agatha Christie's mystery novels and they apparently had great influence over her prose work. In 1923, she published her first and only collection of short stories entitled, The Red Dress and the White Dress. The lack of attention discouraged Vanzura and led to her pursuit of mathematics.

Mathematics
Vanzura wrote her groundbreaking Probability as the Modern Deity, in which she explained the complexities of probability theory as she saw relevant to one's belief in a higher power.

Rumors

 * Vanzura is speculated to have been a frequent user of the drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
 * She is thought to have never had a steady romantic relationship, but rather many affairs with both men and women, most notably a homosexual named Taylor, who is referenced in a compilation of her letters during her life in Bloomington, Indiana.
 * Vanzura allegedly was embarrassed by her beauty, and often dressed in a manner she believed would dissuade her suitors.

Death
There is much mystery surrounding the death of Danielle Joy Vanzura, and there are several theories as to the cause.
 * Vanzura killed herself by drowning following several bad sexual experiences and the contraction of syphilis.
 * Vanzura died alone in an apartment in Lansing after suffering through several months of syphilis and heavy dosages of LSD.
 * Vanzura was poisoned by a former lover after refusing to perform a degrading sexual act.