Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: writing

  • The power of the creative

    Margo DavisNew York, United States The names used within this article have been changed to ensure patient privacy. The question is often asked of me, “What in the world do you do as an artist-in-residence in a hospital?” Over time, my answer has crystallized to: “I bring the creative process to sick kids.” Sometimes my…

  • Healing hidden wounds: a personal perspective

    Jean CozierChicago, Illinois, United States When we’re small and we hurt ourselves, we usually find ways to fix it.  We may cry a little, suck the wound, or run to Mommy so that she can kiss it and make it better. But what if we don’t know for sure we’ve been hurt?  If no one…

  • An evolving journey: Writing as healing art

    Amy WebbPawleys Island, South Carolina, United States It started simply enough. Soon after my diagnosis, a friend and fellow breast cancer survivor counseled me about protecting a space for healing. We discussed the need to create that delicate balance of keeping a network of friends and family informed along the way, while giving oneself the…

  • The patient writer: finding meaning in authorship and illness

    Ben MurnaneDublin, Ireland If a person lives with chronic illness, is there “a person” that can be separated from the illness? I suppose many people would say, “Of course there is.” There must be some essence there, some self untainted by disease, some true soul within the sick body. Perhaps the true self, however, is…

  • Screenwriting: psychiatry in reverse

    Stephen PottsEdinburgh, United Kingdom Introduction The subject matter of medicine is inherently dramatic. Decisions taken by professionals who are highly skilled, but still human and therefore flawed, are applied to suffering patients in situations of pressure and can have radically diverse outcomes: life or death; disability or cure: a healthy baby born to a healthy…