The Healing Muse – Fall 2003

While writing about illness, as well as about practice of medicine, belongs to a long and respected tradition, recently there does seem to be increasing interest in publications that bridge this aspect of the art/science divide. This journal makes a worthwhile contribution to the field.

While writing about illness, as well as about practice of medicine, belongs to a long and respected tradition, recently there does seem to be increasing interest in publications that bridge this aspect of the art/science divide. This journal makes a worthwhile contribution to the field. Published by the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the Upstate Medical University of the State University of New York, The Healing Muse offers an eclectic range of styles and themes, though it clearly favors shorter pieces and writing predominantly, but not exclusively, by those who work in medical settings. Particularly memorable in this issue: “Attending Physician,” a subtle and finely crafted poem by Melinda Glines; a moving essay about life with a prosthetic eye by Sarah Roberts; and an exceptional drawing. “Darius,” by award-winning children’s book illustrator Susan Keeter which, like much of the artwork reproduced here, presents a more imaginative or perhaps unconventional metaphor of health or “healing” than many of the literary selections. [The Healing Muse. A Journal of Literary and Visual Arts, Center for Bioethics and Humanities, 725 Irving Avenue, Suite 406, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, 13210. E-mail: [email protected]. Single issue $10. www.upstate.edu/cbh/centerpubs.shtml] – SR