Author's posts
Reflections on human suffering
I was in my upstairs office when I heard the doorbell ring. I ran downstairs to open the door, unable to see through the opaque window who was on the other side. I opened the door, and there stood an elderly Black man and woman, well dressed, with leaf…
Kick start your writing with a surprise
One of the most memorable scenes in Goodfellas occurs early on, when the audience is introduced to most of the crew at the Bamboo Lounge. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) get into a tense exchange. Tommy seems to get offended after …
Halloween is almost here. Why aren’t you writing?
Sir Isaac Newton dedicated as much, if not more, of his time to the study of alchemy than he did to the natural order of the universe, but most of his work as an alchemist remained unpublished until long after his death when a metal chest full of his b…
Expressive writing reduces caregiver stress
Today, more than one in five Americans are caregivers, providing care to an adult or child with special needs at some time in the past 12 months. Given this sobering statistic, I’m surprised we do not see as many health narratives written by care…
The essence of health narratives, including poetry
In the vast universe of all that has been written, writing about loss, illness, and death is probably second only to writing about intimacy, relationships, and longing. In the world of narrative medicine, the order is reversed. Patients are harnessing …
Practicing medicine with conviction
What does it take for physicians to practice with conviction – to practice medicine with a sense of confidence and commitment, passionate about your work? What factors allow medical students to enter the resident pool each July and turn their timidness…
Crying to be heard: women in emotional pain
I am struck by how often crying is overlooked or trivialized by doctors despite its therapeutic value and need for recognition. Crying can play a significant role in healing and overall well-being. Research has shown that crying serves as an emotional …
Man’s search for meaning is spiritual, and relevant to medicine
Viktor Frankl’s Holocaust memoir, Man’s Search for Meaning, is an extraordinary essay on resilience and spirituality, a reminder that human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have meaning. At the risk of mentioning Bob Dylan in …
A season of emotions: spring, trauma, and healing
Spring is an interesting time of the year for me. April 15 may actually be my favorite day, but certainly not because income taxes are due. My dad was born on April 15, but that’s not the reason either. Let me set the scene. I lived in a beautifu…
Discovering self through creative writing and medicine
“The balance to fact and analysis is feeling,” our narrative medicine writing instructor informs us. “You’ll find that each poem and essay and story that you write reflects a new aspect of yourself. Be curious about what’s…
