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A Lens on Human Experience

Cultivating empathy & critical thinking in health, culture & the arts

A Lens on Human Experience ➔

Cultivating empathy & critical thinking in health, culture & the arts

Book Review

Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya

Guy Glass09.30.25

Blending memoir and criticism, Sarah Chihaya’s Bibliophobia explores depression, identity, and the perilous yet healing power of books.

Reflection

Imagining Phantom Limb Pain

Russell Teagarden09.20.25

The “fragmentary novel” Flights, offers literary descriptions of phantom limb pain by imagining what a known amputee from the past may have gone through.

Book Review

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

Steven Field09.18.25

A lyrical World War I tale blending medicine, love, and ethics, The Winter Soldier immerses readers in history and humanity.

Book Review

Every Last Breath by Joanne Jacobson

Carol Schilling09.16.25

The book’s profound and startling reflections on mortality are lyrical, fierce, and deeply felt.

In Focus 2025.09 ➔

In Focus: Parenting ➔

The Fall marks the beginning of the school year. To celebrate our children’s return to the classroom, we turn our lens to Parenting.

Book Review Focus

The Names by Florence Knapp and Flashlight by Susan Choi

Howard Trachtman09.22.25

Sudden life-altering events shape human experience; The Names and Flashlight explore divergent consequences through contrasting narrative styles.

Focus Narrative

From Tigers to Otaku

Dave Hsu09.16.25

Parenting in Chinese Canadian immigrant families carries both triumphs and struggles, shaping children into overachievers—or isolating, withdrawn adolescents.

Book Review Focus

Second Life by Amanda Hess

Carol Schilling09.09.25

A powerful blend of memoir and critique, Amanda Hess examines pregnancy, technology, and parenting amid modern medicine’s promises and digital noise.

Podcasts ➔

Inside The Pitt: Medicine Meets Drama

Dave Hsu09.03.25

A deep-dive podcast exploring The Pitt, a gripping medical drama, its realism, emotional impact, and lessons for medicine and humanity.

Inside The Pitt: Medicine Meets Drama

Dave Hsu09.03.25

A deep-dive podcast exploring The Pitt, a gripping medical drama, its realism, emotional impact, and lessons for medicine and humanity.

Reader Insights ➔

David Hsu on From Tigers to Otaku
Hi Amy, thanks for reading. I’m happy to hear that you connected with the story. Someday, I hope to write…
Amy M on From Tigers to Otaku
As an Asian who grew up here with immigrant parents, I really connected with this story. The long list of…

Reviews ➔

How To Be Depressed by George Scialabba

Guy Glass09.15.25

A candid, unconventional book blending psychiatric records, personal struggle, and practical tips, offering rare insight into living with depression.

The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang

Guy Glass09.15.25

This essay collection explores living with severe mental illness, blending memoir, cultural critique, and reflections on resilience, treatment, and identity.

One Friday in April by Donald Antrim

Guy Glass09.15.25

Donald Antrim’s memoir confronts suicide, psychosis, and survival with unflinching honesty, blending personal crisis, hospitalization, and hard-earned hope.

Fourteen Stories: Doctors, Patients, and Other Strangers by Jay Baruch

Martin Kohn09.15.25

Jay Baruch’s Fourteen Stories vividly portrays caregivers’ struggles, ethical dilemmas, and resilience.

Interviews ➔

Interview with Andre Mangham

Sebastian Galbo06.02.25

Andrew Mangham explores how Victorian literature, medicine, and political economy intersected to shape powerful narratives about hunger and poverty.

Julie Ridge : Bipolar & The English Channel

Guy Glass03.05.25

Julie Ridge’s one-woman show Bipolar & The English Channel explores her journey as a record-breaking swimmer and living with bipolar disorder.

Interview with  Darrel Manitowabi

Jacalyn Duffin02.03.25

Canadian anthropologist Darrel Manitowabi, PhD, explores Indigenous healing traditions through “Indigenous Medicine Stories,” blending academic and community perspectives at NOSM University.

Interview with Alan Blum

Jack Coulehan10.24.24

The battle against smoking evolved from awareness campaigns to challenging a profit-driven industry, using humor, irony, and persistent activism to drive cultural change.