American College of Physicians Publishes ‘In Whatever Houses We May Visit: An Anthology of Poems That Have Inspired Physicians’
New Anthology Attests to Power of Poetry to Inspire Physicians Around the World
PHILADELPHIA, July 25, 2008 – When Michael LaCombe, MD, asked doctors around the world to send him copies of the poems they turn to for inspiration, he said a surprising number of them had a single, favorite poem at the ready -- often on their desks -- for those times when the challenges of medical practice can leave a doctor in need of quick healing.
Dr. LaCombe compiled these poems from nearly 100 physicians and added others to create “In Whatever Houses We May Visit: A Poetry Anthology for Physicians,” edited by Dr. Lacombe and Thomas V. Hartman, and published this month by ACP Press, the book publishing program of the American College of Physicians. The book features the work of both well-known and emerging poets, both physicians and non-physicians, in nearly 200 poems about illness and healing, doctors and patients, and a wide range of related subjects. The book underscores the importance of poets as commentators on the art and science of medicine, and the value of poetry to physicians as they seek inspiration and insight in the face of daily challenges. Emily Dickinson; William Carlos Williams, MD; Rafael Campo, MD; Maya Angelou, and Philip Larkin are among the poets whose works are included in the book.
“Someone once said that physicians have a front row seat at the drama of life. At such moments one can find no better theater companion than the poet,” said Dr. LaCombe in the book’s introduction. He also noted, “You will find no obscurities in this volume. In every instance, its poems are immediately accessible.” Dr. LaCombe is a writer who has practiced medicine for over 30 years in rural Maine. He is former Director of Cardiology at Maine General Medical Center in Augusta.
Dr. LaCombe is the author of “Medicine Made Clear: House Calls from a Maine Country Doctor.” He is also editor of the “On Being a Doctor” and “Ad Libitum” Sections of Annals of Internal Medicine. He has also edited the three volumes in the “On Being a Doctor” series published by ACP Press. The book’s co-editor, Tom Hartman, is a former poetry editor at Painted Bride Quarterly and a founding editor of DUCKY. He is now Editor of ACP Press.
In an advance review of the book, Jack Coulehan, MD, author of “Medicine Stone: Poems” and editor of “Blood and Bone: Poems by Physicians,” said, “’In Whatever Houses We May Visit’ is a lifeline to the world of mystery, hope, compassion, and the human spirit… The poems display the power of poetry to make a difference in our lives, to make us feel a little wiser and wittier, a little more human.”
“In Whatever Houses We May Visit” has a companion anthology that will be released in August 2008 called “The Last Half Hour of the Day: An Anthology of Stories and Essays That Have Inspired Physicians,” co-edited by Dr. LaCombe and Christine Laine, MD. The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 126,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students, residents and fellows. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illness in adults.
To order “In Whatever Houses We May Visit: A Poetry Anthology for Physicians,” visit the ACP Press at www.acponline.org/acppress. The list price is $34.95; ACP members pay $24.95. The hardcover book has 250 pages. The product number is 330371100; the ISBN-13 number is: 978-1-934465-06-6.
Note to Editor: For interviews or review copies, contact Lynda Teer (lteer@acponline.org; 215-351-2655); or Steve Majewski (smajewski@acponline.org; 215-351-2514) at the American College of Physicians. Interviews are available with the editors. Three excerpts, and a sample poem, follow.
--from George Bascom, “Destiny”:
...And in the midst
of all this tumult, feeling a serious
satisfaction,
I thought, maybe after all
this is what I was meant for
--from Rafael Campo, MD, “XI. Jane Doe #2”:
…Her hands were crossed about her chest, as though
Raised up in self-defense; I tried to pry
Them open to confirm the absence of
A heartbeat, but in death she was so strong,
As resolute as she was beautiful. …
--from Tony Hoagland, “Emigration”:
…And because illness feels like punishment,
an enormous effort to be good
comes out of you—
like the good behavior of a child
desperate to appease
the invisible parents of this world.
--“Death,” by John Stone, MD:
I have seen come on
slowly as rust
sand
or suddenly as when
someone leaving
a room
finds the doorknob
come loose in his hand
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