Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

doctoredAn Evening Out

One evening this past week, my sister and I ventured out together for an author talk here in Manhattan by our family friend Dr. Sandeep Jauhar (Sandeep is married to a sister of one of my sister’s best friends). We looked on with pride while Sandeep discussed the issues at the heart of his latest book, Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician, and responded to questions from the audience.

I haven’t yet read the new book (but the copy circulating among our family members, pictured to the left, is now in my possession). But I did read (and admire) Sandeep’s previous book; you may remember the Q&A that I conducted with him in a long-ago issue of The Practicing Writer.

Speaking of The Practicing Writer

Before the next “Midweek Notes” post appears, I’ll have hit “send” for the February 2015 issue of The Practicing Writer, the free monthly newsletter that so many of you so kindly read! The first issue of this newsletter was dated February 2004. Happy Anniversary to us (and if you’re not yet a subscriber, it’s never too late to join us!).

And a Few Concluding Thoughts

As I struggle (still, several weeks in) with an essay-in-progress that I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before, and as I reflect on a couple of other frustrations I’ve encountered through online reading/exchanges this past week, I point you to these sage words that I can only hope will reach the people who most need to hear it (not necessarily you, my dear readers, but perhaps some people you know).

4 thoughts on “Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

  1. That tweet of advice made me think of an interesting piece I read in an old New Yorker issue (think 4 or 5 years ago) about how the Internet (as it is now) actually has the effect of polarizing people rather than (through access to a wider variety of information) promoting tolerance. The author argues that it allows us to seek out specifically those pieces of information / opinion / etc that fits with our own views, so that some of us are constantly reinforcing and further encouraging our own views to the point of extremism. That rings true to me, in the age of social media especially.

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      Interesting recollection, Annette. Thanks for sharing!

  2. sandra soli says:

    Erika, hope you are staying warm and still have power.

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      Sandra, we lucked out–really no problems in my neighborhood. Thanks for the concern!

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