Irregular Infidelities
Recognizing Imperfections
A few weeks ago, Swiss artist Shahryar Nashat installed an exhibition on the first floor of the Carpenter Center and an “intervention” in Gallery 1510 of the Busch-Reisinger Museum. In the case of the latter, the intervening work changes the focus of the room from the ideal to the flawed—not because Nashat's work is lacking, but because many of his pieces thematically revolve around the weaknesses within the concept of perfection. That ideal is embodied by the beauty of Renée Sintenis’ statue “Daphne,” a pre-existing and perhaps antagonistic piece within Gallery 1510.
Although this intervention is fascinating on its own, it also calls attention to Nashat’s larger exhibit “Shahryar Nashat: Skins and Stand-ins” in the Carpenter Center. This exhibit largely focuses on prosthesis, making for a poignant reminder of the physical imperfection inherent in the human body and a powerful metaphor for people’s attempts to take care of themselves. The intervention’s title, “Private Practice,” not only alludes to the imperfection and inexact repetitions of the human body but also indirectly poses a question: How does this concept of imperfection apply to the practice of medicine?
Finding a Balance
The study of literature is arguably as connected to certain specialties of medicine as is the study of, say, organic chemistry, though this statement may be controversial to some. Before bringing up the interpretive side of medicine and the importance of listening for the gaps or central features of a patient's story, I must admit that this vision goes against that of one of my literary idols, Anton Chekhov. A Russian physician and writer, Chekhov famously said, “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.” From his perspective, medicine and literature were two separate entities.
Such a philosophy guides the academic experience of Harvard undergraduates who are interested in this intersection. They have the option of concentrating in fields such as English, Comparative Literature, Folklore and Mythology, or Classics while pursuing premedical coursework as electives, or of choosing a science concentration and taking literature classes on the side. I am an English concentrator and premedical student myself, and I am grateful for the opportunity to explore literature's connection to medicine while in college. This path is not as logistically difficult during one's undergraduate years as it may initially seem to be, and, perhaps surprisingly to some, it allows the student to develop literary skills that directly relate to medical practice.
Storytelling as Therapy: Alexievich's 'Zinky Boys'
I admit that I cannot justly give tribute to the writings of Svetlana Alexievich, the most recent winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her oral histories broadly challenge society to honesty while refusing to neglect the specifics of each experience—an undertaking that cannot be fully captured by my isolated voice. I feel compelled, however, to reference her work, in which she explores, as she puts it, “what happens to [the human being] in...our time. How does man behave and react. How much of the biological man is in him, how much of the man of his time, how much man of the man.” Alexievich takes on the roles of psychologist, sociologist, and journalist. She is an artist who defies boundaries in the service of human wellness and authenticity.
In this effort, whether intentionally or not, Alexievich captures the essence of the medical humanities. Her nonfiction work “Zinky Boys,” for instance, contains interviews from civilians and soldiers who experienced the 1979-1989 Soviet War in Afghanistan. Particular voices in the book acknowledge the limitations of the medical humanities, yet the work as a whole serves as a paragon of the genre which merges the social questions of this war with medical tragedy, individual perspective, and honest detail. “Zinky Boys” also allows the reader to explore one particular aspect of the medical humanities: how storytelling and literature provide powerful tools for attaining emotional wellness.
The Humanities and Health
Dr. Richard Berlin is experienced in psychiatry, psychotherapy, expert psychopharmacology—and poetry. He treats patients at his private psychiatric practice in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts and has published over 60 professional papers in scientific literature. He also judges the William Carlos Williams Poetry Contest and has published award-winning poetry chapbooks.
Although Berlin’s career in medicine and interest in poetry may seem an unusual combination, he is in good company. There is a rich tradition of physician-poets, which includes John Keats, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., William Carlos Williams, and Rafael Campo (who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School). Many physicians have turned to poetry as a way to express their experiences and use more creative language than is possible in medical charts.