‘This Week in Graphic Medicine’ highlights relevant articles (and tweets) about comics in medicine published during the week (Saturday – Friday). Links are typically presented without commentary, unless clarification of relevance is necessary, with credit given to those who flagged them up where possible. So without further ado…
Matthew’s Pick of the Week…
Traditionally speaking, I have tried to avoid indulging in my personal views in these posts each week, making it clear on those occasions that I don’t. However, thinking about how much time goes into each week’s work, I thought I would try something new – highlight my favorite, relevant part of each week’s roundup. This will provide a chance to highlight amazing work being done and, hopefully, provide a little more context to a link that might otherwise be overlooked in the slew of amazing work.
Some background… As you may or may not think about, graphic medicine is ultimately rooted in the same ideas as narrative medicine, that is, that medicine is rooted in storytelling and that those stories are vital to humanistic medical practice. If you were to build a hierarchy, you might place graphic medicine in a bucket under narrative medicine, alongside poetry, prose writing, music, and so on, as one option of many. Each of those ways of interacting with the stories of health are unique, bring something to the table the others cannot, and as such all have a role to play – even if we like to think we’re the best!
It is with this in mind, that for this first time, I am stepping outside of the comics box a bit. Earlier in the week I decided to share a little of how I have learned to process my experience living with chronic pain on Twitter, even ending with a small visualization at the end of the thread. In a strange coincidence, an Opinion piece in the New York Times, titled In My Chronic Illness, I Found a Deeper Meaning was published around the same time. This essay is my pick of the week.
Elliot frames the experience of chronic illness – in its multifaceted forms – as a failure of society, of economics, and of empathy. Society fails the chronically ill by refusing to accept the experience as anything but abnormal and something to be feared. Something to be rejected. Something to be, at all costs, fixed. Our economic systems fail the chronically ill through its outright refusal to accept anything other than “productivity” holds value. Elliot puts it perfectly:
Being sick has been a long, slow detox from capitalist culture and its mandate that we never rest. Slowly, I found a deeper value in relationship beyond reciprocity: an unconditional love and care based in justice, and a belief that all humans deserve relationship, regardless of whether we can offer anything measurable back.
The failure of empathy toward the chronically ill can’t be pointed to quite so directly and is intimately connected to the failures of society and economics. Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another – is difficult and, perhaps, sorely lacking from our world. You might argue that it is impossible to truly understand the feelings of another, especially if their life experiences are far removed from your own. But that would be a mistake. Even if you can never, with pinpoint accuracy, understand someone, that is hardly an excuse to not try. To not listen. To not open yourself up to the possibility that the most important thing you can do for someone struggling is to listen without judgment and for listening’s sake.
This last failure – of empathy – is why I have dove into narrative and graphic medicine. As individuals, there is little we can do to (quickly) change society at large or the economics of our country, but we can learn – and teach – others to be more empathetic. That’s a laudable goal for everyone, but I would say it is an absolute requirement for us in medicine. I’ll end this week with Elliot’s final thoughts, in the hopes that they speak to you as they did to me:
This is merely another chapter in the life of my body. If I’m lucky enough to get old, my body will change again … This is not a tragedy. This is what it means to be human.
Comics and Medicine: The Way We Work
The Center for Cartoon Studies has launched its page for the 2018 Graphic Medicine Conference! Here you’ll find logistical information – dates and some basic travel information – as well as confirmed keynote speakers. You will also find the call-for-papers information – proposals are due January 30th, 2018. Keep your eyes open for more information as it arrives!
Articles & More…
Award: CSS Prizes 2017
CFP: Graphic Justice Discussions 2018
CFP: CFP: Comics and Medicine: The Ways We Work (August 16-18, 2018, Vermont)
Webcomic: Now and Then via @Eliza_Coli
Webcomic: Needles…
Webcomic: Transfusion Toons: DAT
Webcomic: Maternity Scare via @TheNib
Webcomic: A Part of Me is Still Unknown via @TheNib
Webcomic: The Good War via @TheNib
Webcomic: America Isn’t Ready For a Pandemic. Here’s How It Could Happen. via @TheNib
Webcomic: Board Gaming the System: A Comic Series Part 4
Interview: Cartooncology: An Interview with Will Sperduto
Video: Graphic Medicine YouTube Playlist
Book Review: The Senses
Book Review: Rosa Y Javier via @GraficaMedicina
Blog: A few notes on falling
A Look at First Second’s Fall 2018 Covers
This USC physicist wants you to talk about science. His new graphic novel can get you started
Coming-out Narratives in Comics
Tweets…
Fresh on the shelves:
The Senses – much awaited new graphic medicine from Neurocomic co-creator Dr. Matteo Farinella! pic.twitter.com/Al2RNr1gAr— Wellcome Shop (@ShopWellcome) January 5, 2018
The National Academy of Medicine is calling on artists of all kinds to explore what clinician burnout, clinician well-being, and clinician resilience looks, feels and sounds like to people across the country. https://t.co/yNLhDCB7JZ
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 5, 2018
Are you a #MedStudent feeling “boxed in”? You’re not alone. Check out these #comics created by other medical students (and a related commentary by @mjg15): https://t.co/yMvGWGVOaM and https://t.co/mrBew3AJS6.#GraphicMedicine#MedHumanities
— Academic Medicine (@AcadMedJournal) January 5, 2018
Not My Shame https://t.co/NQbOybVREF via @graphicmedicine New, important survivor work by @northern_thirty #trauma #mentalhealth #VAWG @niadla @NSUNnews @Shrink_at_Large @ruthallenonline @Mental_Elf @KatharineSJ @AlisonF101
— Dr Sarah Carr (@SchrebersSister) January 6, 2018
I am teaching a graphic medicine class in the fall…could explore this with them. Meanwhile, I’m also trying to solve the exposition dump problem of graphic med with a group of undergrad researchers for comics educating refugees (many languages) abt sexual and mental health.
— Leah Misemer (@lsmisemer) January 6, 2018
Sketchnotes from #mla18 #s354 organized by me and @magdor on comics and social protest ft. @uncannydazzler and others discussing the ways comics have always been and continue to be a form of resistance. My favorite q: How do we define and evaluate “good” activism. pic.twitter.com/s6crJlcrQS
— Leah Misemer (@lsmisemer) January 6, 2018
#GraphicMedicine and disability studies continue to be spaces of refuge in academia, spaces of affect and care where we are all whole people, not just professionals ?? #mla18 #s569
— Leah Misemer (@lsmisemer) January 6, 2018
Making Medcomic: Typical Community Acquired Pneumonia https://t.co/cc7AOURM7A pic.twitter.com/C0n5GG8dSC
— Medcomic (@medcomic) January 6, 2018
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemiahttps://t.co/jGA6LhyyXK pic.twitter.com/IUBFrPdJBl
— Medcomic (@medcomic) January 6, 2018
One Panel at a Time: Illustrating Mental Illness at Depression Comix https://t.co/QLb2iebBnm via @wordpressdotcom
— Vera Vonn (@fishonaladder) January 7, 2018
The future of medicine according to Dilbert. #hmieducators pic.twitter.com/X7j9RmtPCo
— Nicolas Thibodeau (@nthibodeaujarry) January 7, 2018
We’re always looking for visual submissions that explore #ethics & #healthcare! Learn more here #graphicmedicine https://t.co/Rbzm6a7MfE
— Journal of Ethics (@JournalofEthics) January 7, 2018
One way to tackle #AMR is to help people of all ages to understand the differences between #viruses & #bacteria! Art and Illustrations are useful and powerful. They are also more impactful if created by #scientists artists such as: @ALymphsLife @miriamriig & @VirologyComics pic.twitter.com/R6pEOgmlLW
— Susan Nasif (@VirologyComics) January 7, 2018
“I dream of a future where menstruation is not a curse, not a disease, but a welcomed change in a girl’s life.” https://t.co/fRLMgQ9Vxf
— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) January 8, 2018
Annals #graphicmedicine utilizes graphic narratives, comics, animation/features, and other creative forms to address medically relevant topics—be they poignant, thought-provoking, or just plain entertaining. https://t.co/1zh31NNzA5 #newmom #backtowork #workingmoms pic.twitter.com/WwK8kguuMW
— Annals of Int Med (@AnnalsofIM) January 8, 2018
Happy 2018! To kick off the Spring semester installment of our #graphicmedicine series, we are thrilled to be hosting @ComicNurse January 22-23. pic.twitter.com/aq2mjYeVS0
— HiramLitMed (@hiramlitmed) January 8, 2018
From @thelancet : Lissa shows “the huge and still untapped potential of comics for use in medicine and global health.” https://t.co/kPxAOcmlbd
— Teaching Culture (@TeachingCulture) January 8, 2018
We’re running a Medical Book Club in twitter. #ClubLecturaMed Our first book is Do not harm by Henry Marsh.
I’ve had the chance to ask him some questions which he’s kindly answered! Here they are:
https://t.co/eMEbUhFvi4 pic.twitter.com/5xZEyH1nBC— monica lalanda (@mlalanda) January 8, 2018
(If you’re at all curiously about my #CancerComics work, go peek at https://t.co/4ETxh6itpp )
— A. David Lewis (@adlewis) January 8, 2018
I’ll be at @Worcester_PL this afternoon for a Popular Reads discussion on #GraphicMedicine. https://t.co/0zXbRn6DK0
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 9, 2018
Images in Roz Chast and Joyce Farmer’s memoirs represent the affective disorientation of taking care of aged and infirmed parents #s569 #mla2018 #mla18
— Kristina Lucenko (@KristinaLucenko) January 6, 2018
Inanimate objects—telephones, dirty dishes—represent changing dynamics of parent-child relationships and of fragile aging bodies #s569 #mla2018 #mla18
— Kristina Lucenko (@KristinaLucenko) January 6, 2018
Sketchnotes from #mla18 #s569 on Narratives of Giving and Receiving Care w/ @TahneerO. Great discussion of everday objects as momento vivere and of the positives and negatives of memoirs from caregiving fathers. pic.twitter.com/YCpLpPTSUe
— Leah Misemer (@lsmisemer) January 7, 2018
Teachers, the first 3 pages of my @SolutionSquad graphic novel explain how comics are read. If you or your kids have never read one before, this gives you what you need to know to get started. Every comic book is someone’s first! #math #mathchat #educomix https://t.co/TbPKgGqiGz pic.twitter.com/BATgRmsnrz
— Jim McClain (@TheJimMcClain) January 5, 2018
Really interesting article about the challenges of making Comics Journalism. https://t.co/kiWFFsanwb link from @cojolist which I recommend every time it comes out because it is excellent!
— Samuel C Williams (@samuelcwilliams) January 8, 2018
Margaret Galvan on Strip AIDS (1987 & 1988) & its critical reception. What do these comics help us understand about “successful” and “useful” representations of activism in comics? #s354 #mla2018 #mla18
— Kristina Lucenko (@KristinaLucenko) January 5, 2018
Are you a librarian? Are you looking to stay involved in graphic medicine? Consider signing up for the @nnlmner-hosted listserv! https://t.co/sS2Rl3PJm4 pic.twitter.com/C2F43GxQZp
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) December 13, 2017
cc #GraphicMedicine (take a look at all of the recent #s569 posts – don’t want to spam RT them all) https://t.co/F7wXNqZ7NL
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 9, 2018
My first #TransfusionToons, with @tmalinMLS, on #TransfusionSafety! Hopefully this #GraphicMedicine #MedEd will be shared among physicians, nurses, and patients. https://t.co/Ecsp1m4xGw pic.twitter.com/onsGxvJbsz
— Justin Kreuter, MD (@KreuterMD) January 9, 2018
Here’s a clear illustration of how #GraphicMedicine can convey harmful information just as easily as healthful. https://t.co/EiTUMovwK2
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 9, 2018
Dr. Mid-Nite, meet Dr. Black Jack #GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/40kqjBuZEg
— Thomas Maluck (@LiberryTom) January 9, 2018
Our #GraphicMedicine collection has been significantly expanded over the past month. What will you read next? pic.twitter.com/Hd8VUieXOe
— UMMS Library (@UMMSLibrary) January 9, 2018
¿Por qué entra el cómic en la Facultad de Medicina? La respuesta a esta pregunta nos la brinda @SabariegosCharo.
Por cierto, Charo, gracias por la mención a mi libro sobre #cómic y #Medicina.https://t.co/bdymfGAg61#MedicinaGráfica#GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/Ch1KgBKoiP— Blanca Mayor Serrano (@mayorserrano) January 9, 2018
On display at @Worcester_PL #GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/OIGNP00MzI
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 9, 2018
The big upshot? The purchaser for comics was there and we’re going to get as many of the titles as we can into their collection!
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 9, 2018
Including the #child in the #pediatric visit is both a #goal and a #milestone, and is key to #kids’ being accountable for their own #health one day. Often, they aren’t so thrilled, however. #primarycare #graphicmedicine pic.twitter.com/vBpocKRy0F
— jackmaypole (@drmaypole) January 10, 2018
#Medical games with #Squirrel at https://t.co/6ZLwEP5Ja1 @GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/aZ0rG1SVjJ
— Diary Of A Squirrel (@diarysquirrel) January 10, 2018
My comic Spooky Womb, and collection X Utero are to be reproduced in this forthcoming @PSUPress anthology Graphic Reproduction, part of the #graphicmedicine book series. That’s Spooky Womb on the cover. #comics https://t.co/2Cs2eFPQom
— Paula Knight (@Paula_JKnight) January 10, 2018
Gracias a @virgiliocen he descubierto este cómic de @AFANION_ que se hizo en el hospital de Albacete @SanidadAlbacete. @mayorserrano @GraficaMedicina @GraphicMedicine https://t.co/uliVftMKeI
— Charo Sabariegos (@SabariegosCharo) January 10, 2018
This is in a set of donations to the library… Talk about a sensationalist cover! #GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/NnvkFWD9Ps
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 10, 2018
#malaria viewed through historical images https://t.co/yOZLROrIm2 @GraphicMedicine @NoetheMatt @GraficaMedicina @ComicNurse #mosaic #wellcome pic.twitter.com/7lmgUMKlrS
— Init4Health (@Init4Health) January 10, 2018
@mlalanda @GraficaMedicina @ComicNurse @VirologyComics @NoetheMatt @GraphicMedicine @miriamriig @ALymphsLife @chuletadeosler submissions sought for this journal – theme is DISEASE – comics & artwork welcome https://t.co/B1i4Y6EgnU
— Init4Health (@Init4Health) January 10, 2018
“Hm, what’s THIS?” Graphic medicine bookshelf of the future (= this May!!) (This is just a print… https://t.co/TUnyKx5eKf
— Ellen Forney (@ellen_forney) January 10, 2018
This image though, I absolutely count in #GraphicMedicine, and it hits me in the heart every time I see it. It is also a fantastic example of why fancy illustrative skills aren’t necessary to create a powerful image. pic.twitter.com/KgDaLb1seG
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 10, 2018
@DrPetra will enjoy this 🙂 And I’m now wondering if she knows about @NoetheMatt and the #GraphicMedicine interest group and such https://t.co/j8ZrVpyya5
— P. F. Anderson (@pfanderson) January 10, 2018
#GraphicMedicine / Medthics Graphic Novel
https://t.co/qfvFYBNoeu— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 10, 2018
One team will start work on a graphic novel based out of the archives of medical anthropologist Maria de Bruyn held @rubensteinlib’s History of Medicine collection. Thanks to @ComicNurse & @thenakedmuse for their influential @DukeHHL @DukeGHI residencies. https://t.co/NAvK0aL3r1
— JOJ (@Professor_OJ) January 10, 2018
Cartoon Abstracts are a fun new way of visualising academic research @GraphicMedicine @medhums_bmj @TRLHub @GBHI_Fellows https://t.co/FCDxOB7naH
— Desmond O’Neill (@Age_Matters) January 10, 2018
Additional tickets for “THE AFTERMATH: BATTLE & TRAUMA IN COMICS – PANEL DISCUSSION” with Tom, Mitch, Jason and J.W. have been released! If you couldn’t get in before, give it a shot now. https://t.co/ygB4ZIwDxq @Eventbrite
— clark (@drinkpinkink) January 10, 2018
Reflecting on my decision to share this thread today and sketched a little. I tried to draw the first 6 things I define myself by. #GraphicMedicine pic.twitter.com/bbFPfJq5bi
— Matthew Noe (@NoetheMatt) January 11, 2018
Lessons from Helen Keller: How to Make the #Comics Accessible? https://t.co/LpPE1NKiih #a11y #GraphicMedicine
— P. F. Anderson (@pfanderson) January 11, 2018
COMING SOON: The #science behind anxiety is explained in this engaging and highly original graphic #medicine book, with in-depth analysis of where #anxiety comes from, what it means for your body, and how to turn it into something #positive https://t.co/q36tMKDVly #mentalhealth pic.twitter.com/Q5VcOnAnm5
— Singing Dragon Books (@Singing_Dragon_) January 11, 2018
Posting out to my #graphicmedicine colleagues. I’m struggling for submission ideas for this year’s conference. Need a co? Have a crazy idea? Want to pick my brain? Go for it.
— Kate Deibel (@metageeky) January 11, 2018
Extremely excited to see my cartoon in the pages of @AAHPM Quarterly’s Winter issue! Early consults can be better in many ways! #hpm #PalliativeCare #graphicmedicine pic.twitter.com/QAkh9dLr9W
— Nathan Gray (@NathanAGray) January 11, 2018
Father (@chipreece) writes graphic novel for his son w/ #DownSyndrome– Makes HIM the superhero!
You HAVE to listen to this podcast!#Teachers– pls get your #students involved on this.
iTunes: https://t.co/SppWHUeOpR
Soundcloud: https://t.co/7mvqaQOpEt pic.twitter.com/AXtcVA64CD— Don Wettrick (@DonWettrick) January 10, 2018
Check out my review of Science Comics: Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield by @FalynnK & from @01FirstSecond: https://t.co/XIXDL81OSz. It’s a brisk, fun, and highly informative graphic novel. pic.twitter.com/PFGLq1HPBe
— Stergios Botzakis (@sbotzakis) January 11, 2018
Thanks, I have been to the opening on Monday and it’s pretty great! So many beautiful Cajal drawings #graphicscience #neuroscience pic.twitter.com/fFgAHqUh9u
— Matteo Farinella (@matteofarinella) January 10, 2018
Had a similar thought today. The library I visited had an excellent selection of non-fiction graphic novels…but shouldn’t they be in Biography? History? Science? The medium seems to supplant the topic or genre.
— A. David Lewis (@adlewis) January 9, 2018
“In-Between Days” by @robotpilot a “must read memoir” #graphicmedicine #FridayReads @HouseofAnansi https://t.co/7Fm6N2moJa
— Laura Meyer (@LauraNMeyer) January 12, 2018
Some great stuff this week! Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments below or tweet @NoetheMatt! Until next time…
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