Last night, we visited with Rachael (one of Marilyn's daughters, for distancing family trying to keep track) and her husband Thomas. In the coming weeks, I’ll share more about her important project—The Hysteria Project—which blends collage with narrative medicine in a way that’s broadly multi-modal and deeply collaborative. I’m excited to learn more about it and share what I learn with you.
Narrative, and other forms of storytelling, are critical to remediating the gaps in our empathy and understanding. Rachael is doing important, inclusive, multi-vocal work that really demonstrates a “best practice” narrative medicine project design.
We also went to dinner, and swapped family stories (some old, some new, one that took me by surprise!), and ate the best asparagus I’ve ever had.
A thing I love about all multi-vocal narrative projects—including The Hysteria Project and my book in progress—is the way the inclusion of other voices keeps the narrative nimble, refusing to let it calcify around one voice. I’m very glad to have added Rachael's voice to my understanding of our family's history and it’s futures!
(Apologies for not noticing, in the first draft, that spellcheck kept changing Rachael to Rachel. Fixed it, but still embarrassed.)
I am delighted that the four of you got together. Generations of closeness, our woven history.