“Fact” vs. “Truth” in Narrative of Illness
In this conference workshop, Rafael Campo, M.D., M.F.A., defines a “biocultural” narrative of the illness experience, in contrast to the restrictive biomedical narrative encountered in today’s health care setting. He explores how literary works by Frank O’Hara, Debra Spark, Abraham Verghese, and Veneta Masson issue an insistent invitation to share in diverse human experiences. Please note: This workshop involved a great deal of audience participation. Workshop participants read each of the literary works aloud, and then shared their thoughts and questions. Campo’s microphone did not capture the participants’ voices, so in their place you will hear substitute readers and gaps in the recording. The works discussed are also available here in PDF format.
This workshop was part of the Literature & Medicine program’s national conference, Caring for the Caregiver, held on November 9 & 10, 2007 in Manchester, NH. We welcome your feedback on this Rafael Campo podcast.
