Eyes & Ears
Good Movies, Books, Listens, and Surfs
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Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President
By Candice Millard
Named a New York Times Notable Book of 2011, Millard’s book is a remarkable achievement of research and storytelling. In Destiny of the Republic, readers discover how a non-lethal gunshot wound ended up killing James A. Garfield. While the examination of the medical errors and reasons behind them is compelling, perhaps more so is the rich, detailed journey through the remarkable life of a scholar, Civil War hero, and president.
More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers’ Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered
By D.P. Lyle, MD
Odd questions are the order of the day with this follow-up to Lyle’s Forensics and Fiction. An example: Will snake venom injected into fruit cause death? Lyle has the answers, thanks to the extensive knowledge of medical and forensic science that has made him a go-to resource for fiction and television writers. A writer of nonfiction books and thrillers, he also practices cardiology and teaches forensic science classes.
Popular Fiction and Brain Science in the Late Nineteenth Century
By Anne Stiles, PhD
Part of the Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture, Stiles’s book explores how late Victorian cognitive science–specifically cerebral localization experiments—impacted the subject matter of authors like H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker. Stiles, a professor of English at Saint Louis University, covered the medicine-literature connection in her previous book Neurology and Literature, 1860-1920.
Writer, M.D.: The Best Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction by Doctors
Abraham Verghese, MD, professor of medicine and senior associate chair for the theory and practice of medicine program at the School of Medicine, joins other physician-writers in this collection of essays. Verghese’s contribution is an essay on the lost art of the physical exam. Subjects explored by other writers include the bond between a medical student and her first cadaver, the pain of losing a patient, and the ethical questions a young surgical intern faces.
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Let Me Down Easy
TV
Philip A. Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, is among 19 characters portrayed by former Stanford drama professor Anna Deveare Smith in this remarkable play. The show explores lost love, faith during times of hardship, and finally, the end of life, through the perspectives of a rodeo bull rider, a supermodel, and Buddhist monk, just to name a few. Recorded in February 2011, Let Me Down Easy debuted January 13, 2012 on THIRTEEN’s Great Performances on PBS. The show, and an interview with Smith, are available online at PBS.org.
The Citadel
DVD
This 1938 classic stars Robert Donat as Andrew Manson, a young English doctor who begins his career as an idealist, but quickly becomes disillusioned by the challenges of working within the medical establishment. He moves on to treat the minor or imagined ailments of the wealthy and enjoys a comfortable life. His wife, played by Rosalind Russell, struggles with the conflict of yearning for the highly principled man she married, but enjoying the fruits of his success. Rex Harrison also shines as Dr. Manson’s unscrupulous colleague.
Ikiru
DVD
One of Akira Kurosawa’s most thoughtful films, Ikiru follows government bureaucrat Kanji Watanabe in his search for meaning after receiving a diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer. Kurosawa’s background as a classically trained painter [Editor’s note: See Art & Soul] emerges during a journey through town—many critics have noted the resemblance of the dance hall scenes to the works of Hieronymous Bosch. This 1952 film is a quietly gripping existential masterpiece.
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KevinMD
Blog
Billed as “social media’s leading physician voice,” KevinMD addresses current hot topics in medicine, relying on expert commentary from a variety of contributors. This source of insider knowledge founded by Kevin Pho, MD, is a resource widely used by major media, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and boasts over 100,000 social media subscribers. Visit kevinmd.com to get the latest updates, and follow @kevinmd on Twitter.
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