About

Welcome to the Poetry & Prose Rounds

What it is:

Writing about and through illness can change lives and enrich health care. This is the murky realm of narrative medicine, the hybrid offspring of medicine and literature. In this lunchtime seminar we will practice close reading of examples of narrative medicine from authors ranging from Chekhov, Alcott and Whitman, to Ehrenreich and Gawande. Through a series of guided writing prompts we will write pieces of our lives in the context of illness and health care. This seminar is open to all UW students, faculty and staff within Health Sciences and in Arts and Sciences. No prior knowledge of narrative medicine or literary critique is required. In addition, all writing abilities are welcomed.

Expectations:

The Poetry and Prose Rounds will be structured but informal. You can come to as many of the seminar sessions as your schedule allows, and you are encouraged to bring your lunch (will be held in a section of the library where you can also bring food/drink). Patient privacy rules will be reviewed at the start of each session (e.g.: do not use names/other identifying information in speaking or writing about events). These seminar sessions are greatly enriched by the participation across disciplines and the fostering of mutual respect.

Time: Every Tuesday noon-1pm starting Tuesday January 11th

Place: 2nd floor Health Sciences Library