Tag: Winter 2012
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The Fountain of Youth
But O that I were young again And held her in my arms. — Yeats Since time immemorial, people in most countries of the world have looked for remedies to repair the ravages of time and make them young again. This has given rise to many tales about miraculous springs of water they could drink…
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Cennino d’Andrea Cennini (ca. 1370–1437)
The name of Cennino Cennini is remembered not for his pictures, which have mostly perished, but for writing a treatise for artists, Il libro dell’arte. Born near Florence, he was apprenticed for 12 years to Agnolo Gaddi, a follower of Giotto. After his master’s death he went to Padua, married a lady of good position,…
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Cruel to be kind
Thom FerrierUnited Kingdom When does “eliciting a response using pain” turn into sadism? While working in the Emergency Department in the ’90s, I would sometimes perceive an apparent vindictiveness in the actions of colleagues—and occasionally recognized within myself—born of tiredness, frustration, or a sense of being manipulated by a patient. At these times I suppose…
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Graphic medicine
Ian WilliamsWales, United Kingdom Introduction In case you have not noticed, graphic novels have been cropping up in literary reviews that would have previously been the reserve of prose. Thanks to the UK broadsheet newspapers, which have been championing the graphic form for a good 10 years or so, a distinct genre of autobiographical comics…
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Lovesickness in art and medicine
Frank Gonzalez-CrussiChicago, Illinois, United States Have you ever suffered the pangs of romantic passion? Count yourself lucky if you have not, for studies show that this feeling may thrive in any world culture.1 The defining characteristic of lovesickness is an obsessive thought: the lovelorn are tormented by the constant image of the unattainable love-object. This…
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The Therapist
Glen Aylward Springfield, Illinois, United States Poet’s statement: This poem addresses the burden placed on therapists who are exposed to the emotions and experiences of their patients on a daily basis and how these factors have a long-lasting, cumulative impact on the therapist’s own emotional well-being. The therapist A thin film of depression,…
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Views from the Asylum
Robert Ferrari Alberta, Canada Poet’s statement: “Views from the Asylum” is an ekphrasis of Van Gogh’s works from his 1889 period, when he self-admitted to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole and produced 150 paintings while in that asylum. It is interesting that he painted so much and so clearly under constraint. The same phenomenon is echoed by poets…
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Predicting heart attack
Shridhar Dwivedi New Delhi, India Poet’s statement: Coronary artery disease and heart attack have become epidemic among South Asians both at home and abroad. Identifying the disease at a very early stage is the best way to prevent a heart attack. This poem pens the features, or clues, that can predict the development of…
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Dancing with Dex
Viola Moriarty Bennington, Vermont, USA Poet’s statement: Originally part of a multi-media exhibit at the Bennington Cancer Center, this poem was a reflection upon the effects of steroids during chemotherapy, where “Dex” refers to dexamethasone. After chemo #2, 2007 Viola Moriarty Oil on canvas 18” x 24” Dancing with Dex She takes the woman’s…