From Day 1 -- 20 years ago -- the description for HealthLawBlog has included "poetry and other things that matter." So it's entirely fitting that my 1,000th blog post should fall on Emily Dickinson's 193rd birthday.
The "Belle of Amherst" was born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830, and after 10 months of study at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, now Mount Holyoke College, lived out the rest of her 38 years back in her hometown. The home where she spent most days is now the Emily Dickinson Museum, a great place to visit and a website that is full of resources.
Emily Dickinson published 11 poems in her lifetime. Her 1,755 poems stand alongside the poetry of her contemporary, Walt Whitman, as the beginning of modern American poetry. She was obsessed with "Death," and her poems are an indispensable guide -- and challenge -- for health care providers who rely on the humanities to develop their professional chops.
This is why her poetry is included in my course, older than HealthLawBlog itself, "Law, Literature & Medicine." Ten 4th-year medical students from UT-Southwestern Medical School and ten 3rd-year Dedman Law students join together every spring semester to explore common issues in professional identity formation. Big shout-out to my collaborator UTSW prof (and law school adjunct) Reeni Abraham, M.D.!
Poetry is a big part of the readings, and Emily is always on the list.
Happy birthday, Em!
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