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| We Flattened the Curve!! |
Dear Bookclub,
The latest Covid case count, courtesy of the New York Times, January 15, 2022, explains the decision to meet, once again, à la Zoom. Discussion of Janice Nimura's "The Doctors Blackwell" began Greek chorus-like, as we recited stories of our family's experiences with Covid and other illness in recent weeks. Deja vu: this too shall pass.
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An illustration shows medical student Elizabeth Blackwell at Geneva Medical College (later Hobart College) in upstate NewYork, |
Nimura's account gave an eye-opening understanding of the evolution of medicine evoking appreciation for advances technically, socially and scientifically and planting hope for a continued trajectory in all aspects as we realize how much more can be achieved. As the previous sentence demonstrates: dry. Spoiled by zestier nonfiction books in our past year of reading, ("Empire of Pain", "Hidden Valley Road"), this nonfiction work didn't work for us. The content important and gratefully consumed, yet an absorbing, enthralling hook (or scalpel) should have been ordered.
Sisters, Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, rejecting feminism, surprised, driven to forge their way into medicine in a male-only era. Finding this concept counter intuitive, Dave Davies of NPR's 'Fresh Air' interviews Janice Nimura and illuminates:
Today, both women are regarded as feminist trailblazers, but Nimura notes that they were also "complicated, prickly, sometimes self-contradictory people." Elizabeth, for instance, regarded the women of her day as trifling gossips and took a dim view of the women's suffrage movement.
"To me, that taught me that it's really important in this moment to kind of relearn how to admire women," Nimura says. "To understand that a heroine doesn't always have to be a Disney princess, but can be a woman with all sorts of rough edges and complications and that we can admire them profoundly anyway."
Please enjoy this 35 minute listen:
Here's a zesty suggestion to heighten understanding of medicine's journey in the last century or so:
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| dated promo poster - please check your favorite platforms for viewing info |
Trudy's suggestions for an upcoming selection:
"The Promise" Damon Galgut
"The Night Watchman" Louise Erdrich *chosen
"Apples Never Fall" Lianne Moriarty
Up next:
Happy reading,
LK
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