Tompkins County Public Library

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Library to Host Program on Medicine and Healing

The Tompkins County Public Library will host Cornell University Professor Stacey Langwick for a presentation of “Medicine and Healing:  Navigating Life and Death,” September 12 at 6 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Being held in conjunction with the 2012 Community Read of Romain Gary’s “The Life Before Us,” this program will explore what “health” means in various healing traditions, examine how different groups define sickness, misfortune and caregiving and offer an intimate look at the personal realities of life and death.

Langwick, an associate professor of Anthropology, borrows ideas and inspiration from “The Life Before Us,” and its characters’ relationships with medicine for this fascinating discussion.

“The Life Before Us,” is told by Momo, an orphaned Arab boy and Madame Rosa, the former lady of the night who cares for him and an ever-changing cast of children with the aid of monthly checks she receives from their prostitute mothers.  When the checks stop coming and Madame Rosa’s health begins to fail, the book’s real stories of love, belonging, identity and loss begin to emerge.

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Community Read Coordinator Sarah Glogowski at (607) 272-4557 extension 255 or sglogowski@tcpl.org.

****Please note, the date and location of this program have been changed from previous Community Read publicity.

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