Finding Solace in Writing During Uncertainty

Greeting Stewards, 

We hope that you are all doing well and taking care of yourselves as August slips behind us and September saunters in! 

Since our forums and the formal practice of narrative medicine rely on close reading of a piece of writing, we thought we might share some resources with you toward that end, which we hope you find valuable (since close readings reveal to us that always, there is more than first meets the eye, or the ear). Inevitably, people find their own meaning in a piece of writing, much like we all have unique experiences when looking at a piece of artwork. And yet in both cases, the writer and artist have something specific in mind. Where these two streams intersect—the artist’s intention and the recipient’s experience—is often a rich liminal space. 

And this is in part what makes literature so healing. Stories and narratives are powerful. Personal stories and shared experiences connect us. We find resilience and solidarity in literature. Most of all, we find solace. 

The resource we wanted to share with you today was from the Poetry Foundation. The editors of the foundation put together poems for times of uncertainty and anxiety stating that, “When major parts of our lives seem to change in a flash, we are reminded that poetry can help us to cope with new realities and assess the unknowns ahead.” 

We hope that today’s blog post resonated with you and that you take a look at some of these poems! If you attended our forums, you may even recognize some of the pieces. 

As always, PAHS is still recruiting for our Uncertain Together 2022 Forum Series! More information and dates of our forums can be found on our Forum Page. To register for our forums, please use the button down below. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at steward@umn.edu.

Warmly,

Asheanna