Writing About Medicine I

Eight of the 24 essays in the 2012 Best American Essays collection were about medicine. The topics included menopause as a vehicle to the true self, a writing class for children at a cancer hospital, the life of a rural druggist, why so many of Americans now take...

My Christmas Books and The Importance of Being Alice (Munro)

Under the Christmas tree for me this year:          This last book has made every top 10 list I have seen. Although the octogenarian author Alice Munro has been writing for decades, it’s only in recent years – since she received the Man Booker prize in...

The Importance of Statistics (even for writers…)

Say the word statistics and people have very different reactions. Scientists, social scientists, doctors and the like might get excited. Statistics can help us understand the world. Good statistics provide confidence and legitimacy for decisions, programs, and...