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Host Marcia Franklin talks with political scientist Yascha Mounk about identity, political divides and his outlook on America. Mounk is the author of several books, including “The People vs. Democracy,” “The Great Experiment,” and “Stranger in My Own Country.” Don't forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/18/2022 The interview is part of Dialogue's series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference” and was taped at the 2022 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.
Beyond the Page: The Best of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference
On this episode, author and physician Abraham Verghese – who received the 2023 Sun Valley Writers' Conference WRITER IN THE WORLD prize – brings us intimately and poetically into the heart of his remarkable, inspiring journey from his childhood in Ethiopia to his experiences as a young doctor in America during the AIDS epidemic, to his beginnings as a writer. Verghese would go on to become a professor of medicine at Stanford, as well as the author of the classic memoir My Own Country and the beloved, bestselling novels Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water. Here, he describes the meaning and arc of his personal journey with heartfelt tenderness and appreciation, offering new insights into his vision and practice of his joint vocations, and of the profound link between healing and storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, John Tomasi speaks with Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" explores the rise of identity politics and its implications for social justice.But does identity politics actually help to create a more just and inclusive society? Follow Yascha Mounk on: Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fb4wFQ Website: https://www.yaschamounk.com/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/48NLQJO Follow Heterodox Academy on: Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fax5Dy Facebook: https://bit.ly/3PMYxfw LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/48IYeuJ Instagram: https://bit.ly/46HKfUg Substack: https://bit.ly/48IhjNF
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time"A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time"A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Host Marcia Franklin talks with political scientist Yascha Mounk about identity, political divides and his outlook on America. Mounk is the author of several books, including “The People vs. Democracy,” “The Great Experiment,” and “Stranger in My Own Country.” The conversation was recorded at the 2022 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.
Guests featured in this episode:Yascha Mounk, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and also professor of the practice of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University. As a public intellectual, he is widely known for his work on the crisis of democracy and the defense of liberalism. He is a regular contributor to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs. Yascha is also the author of 4 books, the autobiographically inspired Stranger in My Own Country, The Age of Responsibility – Luck, Choice, and the Welfare State, The People versus Democracy – Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It, and most recently, The Great Experiment – Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, published earlier this year. GLOSSARY What is the Replacement Theory? (00:3:20 or p.1 in the transcript)A demographic conspiracy theory popular among white nationalists in the United States and Europe that speculates that falling birthrates among white, native-born Christians, together with a growing population of nonwhite, non-Christian immigrants, whose arrival is believed to be encouraged or orchestrated by globalist elites with the goal of undermining national identities, will, if unchecked, result in the decline of white European culture or its dominance. First recorded in 1900–05 as a medical term; current sense dates to 2015–20; partly based on L'Abécédaire de l'in-nocence (The Abecedarium of No-Harm, 2010) and Le Grand Remplacement (The Great Replacement, 2011), books by Renaud Camus, French novelist, white nationalist, and conspiracy theorist. Source: What are the salad bowl and melting pot theory? (00:37:33 or p.10 in the transcript)The salad bowl model is a metaphor for an inclusive, multicultural society. The idea of a melting pot is a popular metaphor, but it emphasizes the unification of parts into a single whole. The salad bowl concept focuses on individual cultures and proposes a society with many distinct identities. The salad bowl model is the most common concept in Canada and suggests that the country is becoming more cosmopolitan as more people migrate to the country. However, unlike the concept of a melting pot, the salad bowl concept is not homogenous. The concept is more politically correct, and it promotes a society that has many pure cultures rather than a single, unified one. The salad bowl concept also suggests cultural integration. While the melting pot concept promotes a multicultural society, the salad bowl model encourages different cultures to coexist. It juxtaposes the various American cultures, instead of blending them into a single, homogeneous culture. This model emphasizes the need for shared culture and is more politically correct than the melting pot model, which implies that ethnic groups might lose their culture. Source: Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• Central European University: CEU• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Podcast Company: Novel Follow us on social media!• Central European University: @CEU• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentreSubscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks!
Dr. Abraham Verghese is a prolific writer and revered physician who has deeply contemplated the philosophical underpinnings of the practice of medicine. He is renowned as an advocate for the importance of bedside examination and physical diagnosis, and his best-selling books probe the intricacies of human connection in the context of healthcare. In this episode, Dr. Verghese discusses how maintaining a literary life has impacted his approach to doctoring, why the human touch still matters for healing in our increasingly digital age, and his vision of the future of medicine.In this episode, you will hear about: How Dr. Verghese's love of literature influenced his decision to enter medicine - 2:39Reflections on the challenges of contemporary medicine - 7:51How physical exams can be seen as a ritual for “reading the body like a book” - 10:07Dr. Verghese's perspective on the future of doctor-patient relationships given the rise of telemedicine and other technologies - 20:36Balancing the need to connect with each patient for their treatment, while being responsible for so many at once - 26:23How the craft of writing relates to medicine for Dr. Verghese - 31:50The counterintuitive diagnostic efficiency of taking the time and care to meet patients where they are at - 35:45Dr. Verghese is the author of three books:My Own Country (1994) - traces the story of young Dr. Verghese in the mid-1980s in Johnson City, Tennessee, who began to treat patients with a then unknown disease, HIV.The Tennis Partner (1999) - Dr. Verghese writes of his experience moving to El Paso in the midst of an unraveling marriage. There, he meets and becomes a mentor to David Smith, a medical resident at the hospital and a brilliant tennis player recovering from drug addiction.Cutting for Stone (2009) - a novel about twin brothers, orphaned by their mother's death in childbirth and forsaken by their father.The book that Dr. Verghese credits as having inspired him to pursue medicine is Of Human Bondage (1915), by William Somerset Maugham - Available for free Follow Dr. Verghese on Twitter @cuttingforstone and visit his website AbrahamVerghese.org.Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.
This episode features Dr. Quyen Chu, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Louisiana State University. A prominent surgeon, humanitarian and writer, Dr. Chu shares his life stories, from fleeing Vietnam as a young child, to finding his calling, and giving back through work in impoverished U.S. communities and war-torn regions, including Iraq, Kurdistan and Vietnam. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts | Additional resources: education.asco.org | Contact Us Air Date: 01/04/22 TRANSCRIPT [MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. [MUSIC PLAYING] PAT LOEHRER: Hi. I'm Pat Loehrer and director of the Center for Global Oncology and Health Equity, Indiana University. And welcome to another episode of Oncology Etc. DAVE JOHNSON: And hello. I'm Dave Johnson at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. Pat, great to have another session today. PAT LOEHRER: It's good to see you again, Dave. I'm really excited about our guest today. And I think both of you and I were talking about this book that came to mind when we thought about having Quyen here. But it's a book by Abraham Verghese entitled My Own Country. And we hope to have Abraham on in another session of ours. You know, Abraham's story of growing up in Africa, and moving to the United States, and moving to the South in Tennessee in a time of HIV was really an extraordinary journey for him. DAVE JOHNSON: Yeah, an amazing story, settling in East Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains, and then going to the Northeast to do additional training, and then returning to that part of the country during the height of the AIDS epidemic-- really a remarkable story. For those who have not read it, we both recommend it very highly. Today's guests we're incredibly excited about both. Dave and I met Quyen Chu in the Leadership Development program for ASCO. He was in the first class. He's currently the professor of Surgery and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and holds the Edward and Frieda Green Professorship in Surgical Oncology at LSU in Shreveport. He earned his MB degree at Brown Medical School in Providence, trained in general surgery in Massachusetts at Springfield and at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, and then did his fellowship training at Brown University under the mentorship of Dr. Hal Wanebo, who was a wonderful surgeon and very active in ECOG in the Southeast group. Dave and I knew him. He's authored-- or co-authored more than 178 publications, a number of book chapters, a couple of books, including translating one of the surgical textbooks into Vietnamese. He has been an extraordinary human being. And one of the things we want to explore is his journey from childhood until now. In 2013, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the board of Vietnam Education Foundation. He has worked in impoverished areas in Louisiana but also in the war-ravaged parts of the world, including Iraq, Kurdistan, Vietnam. He is truly a special breed of humanists who-- I think he looks back at his roots. he sees the bright possibilities of the future and reflects on what he can do to make a difference. It's just a great pleasure to have you, Quyen, to join us today. QUYEN CHU: Thank you very much, Pat, for that great introduction. It is very heartwarming, and I look forward to this podcast. DAVE JOHNSON: So Quyen, why don't we start a little bit-- I mean, Pat's mentioned your background. Tell us a little about how you got here and about your family and their journey from Vietnam to the United States. QUYEN CHU: Sure. I immigrated to the United States in 1975 right after the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. My father was a South Vietnamese officer in the army, which means that he fought alongside with the Americans so that when the Americans pulled out, South Vietnam fell. And so because he was an officer, we were-- basically had no choice but to leave the country. Otherwise, he would be in a re-education camp, which might mean that we would never see him again. So we left Vietnam in '75. I was seven. We left on a ship, and then we also left-- then we transitioned to boats, and then we went to the Philippines for several months. And then we finally got sponsored by a church in Florida. So then we stayed at Eglin Air Force Base for several months before we actually went to our home in Florida. I grew up there and basically was-- grew up in a very impoverished area. It was-- basically it's a rat-infested home that we lived in. My father was an officer. He was a captain. But coming over to the United States, you have to learn English. You have to try to get a better education. And he finally realized that he had to support a family of six, and he took on being a barber. So he was a barber for most of his-- the rest of his career, really, raising a family of six. And I was there just to do the very best that we could. Throughout it at all, we knew that we were in the right place. And we knew that America doesn't give everything out for free, but we also know that it's a great, great land of opportunity. The philosophy is that if you apply yourself, do the very best, follow the rules and regulations or laws, you know, abide by their laws, that you can do great things. And that is a great opportunity. So that was embedded in me and my sisters, and those philosophies have stood the test of time thus far. PAT LOEHRER: You know, I read a little piece when-- you told a story about arriving here in Florida and a police car pulling up to your house. Can you relate that story? QUYEN CHU: It's the memory that I will never forget. And in fact, I remember it every Thanksgiving. So it was around Thanksgiving. We really didn't know what it was. We just moved into a new house. And it's funny because when we drove by the new house, we saw the garage. And we felt, oh, my god, we're going to live in that garage. This is great. This garage is going to be our house. This is great. There's so much space. And I remember when we asked the driver, the driver goes no, no, no, no, that's where you park your car. The whole house is yours. And we were just amazed. But anyway, so around Thanksgiving, we saw-- a police car drove up to our parkway. And I saw, and I was scared. And then I called out my dad. And I said, Dad, there's a police car here. What did we do wrong? And he was so scared. And he said, Son, you know, I will take care of this. So the police came and knocked on the door. And when my dad opened the door, he claps his hand, and he just bow, just like this, several times to the policemen and say, we're-- in broken English, we're sorry. We know English. We did not mean to break any laws. Forgive us. And the police just smiled. And he says, no, no, no, no. We're here to greet you as a new neighbor. And it's Thanksgiving, and we want to give you a turkey. Then he waved to the other police to come over, and then the other police came out with a big old turkey. And they hand it to us, and they said, welcome to the neighborhood. And we were so happy. My mom-- just about to cry. And we felt that, hey, this is now our new home, and we felt that this is not going to be a strange land, that we're going to create a life for ourselves here. DAVE JOHNSON: It's a remarkable story, Quyen. That type of story just makes it even more special. You mentioned that you had several siblings. Where do you fall in the hierarchy? And what are your siblings doing? QUYEN CHU: So I'm a second-oldest. So my oldest sister-- she went to Cornell, and she is now a full professor of biochemistry at Union College. My younger sister, who's a year younger than me-- she graduated from Dartmouth, and she is now working at industry and also, in the medical field. She holds a PhD from Columbia. And then my youngest sister graduated from Oberlin College, and she is now working in the hotel business. So we're very blessed. We feel very excited about the opportunities. And we look back at our lives every Christmas when we get together as a family, and we reflect back at the lives that we've gotten. And we also feel bad about family members who couldn't make it over here and wonder what their lives would have been like had they come over here. And then we also wonder what life for us would have been like had we not come over here. And through it all, we felt that we really, really hit the jackpot in life and that all of us were very, very lucky to have this life that we have. PAT LOEHRER: I can't imagine the pride that your parents have of all of you and how much pride you have for him. I mean, it's extraordinary. Can you just because I've never-- none of us have been through this, what you've been through. But what was it like being seven years old in the middle of this war in Vietnam? What memories do you have of that? QUYEN CHU: Yeah. I remember when I was playing with my cousins. And of course, in Vietnam, we live under a house full of cousins, aunts, and the extended family. I remember leaving them, and I felt very lonely in America. Of course, each family has its own separate family. And I just felt like it was not-- it was very lonely. But we did have very nice neighbors. We did have great people that really was very supportive. Of course, as a young seven-year-old, the neighbor's daughter was around my age. She was cute, so, of course, I'd find every reason to visit them and say hi to them. But other than that, it was a very nice place to grow up. They have their challenges, obviously. What I remember as a second grader-- I saw all the boys. To me, I thought they were all brothers because they were all Caucasian. They all have blond hair. I couldn't tell the difference who's who, but I thought they were all related. But they were very nice, of course. There were curiosity between us. I've never seen African-Americans until I came over here. And I befriended a Hispanic guy, as well as an African-American, as well as my best friend. To this day his name I still remember. It's Jeff. He was very friendly. Of course, I experienced some racism, but I think that's expected because I look very different. There were a lot of mixed messages coming out of the Vietnam War. But I think that through it all, the challenges, I realized, that there are more good people than there are bad people and that people who were bad-- probably because they were insecure, or they just didn't know me. And then there were those who did finally get to know me. They turned out to be great people. I've learned throughout my 53 years on this earth that people have so many things in common that when we do have conflict, it's probably stemmed from insecurities rather than pure hatred. DAVE JOHNSON: Yeah. You went to undergraduate at Dartmouth. Is that right? QUYEN CHU: Yes. sir. DAVE JOHNSON: So I seem to recall-- maybe you told us this in the LDP program, but you had an interesting experience when you showed up on campus at Dartmouth. QUYEN CHU: Yeah. DAVE JOHNSON: Can you relate a little bit of that to us, as well? QUYEN CHU: Sure. So, again, coming from a family where your dad is a barber, I had limited means. So I basically had, I think, one tote bag that I packed together. I took a Greyhound two day's trip to Dartmouth. And I got there on the campus. It was a beautiful green campus. And I was a little bit hesitant, a little bit reserved because there were a lot of Caucasians and whatnot. And I was a little bit, you know, introvert somewhat. And when I got there, I saw a Frisbee flew by me. And I grab it, and then the guy goes, hey, you want to come and play with us? And I'm like, well, sure. And next thing you know, we hit it off like a bunch of 18-year-old kids-- no worries in our mind, just glad to be on campus. And we hit it off. And I realized that, hey, you know, my reservations were basically based on my own biases rather than the reality. And then I've realized that the reality is that a lot of the kids there are just like me-- just want to find friends, just want to hang out, just want to have a good education. And they weren't being judgmental about anything, and that made me really-- it felt really good. DAVE JOHNSON: Frisbee diplomacy, I guess, is we should call it. Maybe we should throw a Frisbee to Putin. I don't know. QUYEN CHU: That's right. PAT LOEHRER: Tell us a little bit about your journey to become a surgeon. QUYEN CHU: OK. So my dad and mom instilled with me the importance of education. They told me, now listen, you have a choice-- either be in the same rut as us now, or get a good education and get out of this rut. So I really didn't have any choice but to study hard. And I studied hard, and I got an opportunity to go to Dartmouth. I felt very, very lucky with that. They gave me a full scholarship. They believed in me. They saw something in me that I was very happy that they saw. And then I applied to medical school at my sophomore year at Dartmouth, and I got in. I was very excited about that. And I started off wanting to be a pediatrician, but then I realized that what I had to turn in my sheet of the patients that I saw, everything had to do with procedures and techniques. I wrote down there I did a spinal tap, I did a chest tube, I helped intubate, I did all of that. And it was really my pediatric mentor who says, it sounds like you should be a surgeon, not a pediatrician. And that kind of got me thinking about it. And then I rotated a service with Dr. Wanebo and really fell in love with surgery. It was tough. It was rough. But I felt that this is my calling. I felt very fortunate looking back at only the number-- maybe they admitted 100 students. And I felt very fortunate that I was among those. And I knew that it was an opportunity that I did not want to waste, that I did not want to take for granted. I wanted to do everything I can to make sure that I learn as much as I can and hoping that in the future, I would give back to the country, the community that gave me a life. DAVE JOHNSON: Yeah, my mentors suggested that I should be a forest ranger as opposed to a physician. [LAUGHS] PAT LOEHRER: Yeah I think I shared before I got, on one of my medical-school applications, they not only rejected me, but they said, good luck in whatever career you decide to go into. [LAUGHTER] I was going to be a pediatrician, too, but I envisioned all these kids just laughing and having a great time. But they were all crying, and the parents didn't like me either. And so I decided to find a different life. You have had this extraordinary journey of giving back, as I mentioned at the onset, and not only going back to Vietnam but also, going to Iraq and going to many other countries here. And about five years ago, you received the ASCO Humanitarian Award, which was so deserving for you. DAVE JOHNSON: Very deserving. PAT LOEHRER: But tell us a little bit about these efforts. What has pulled you or driven you to do so much of your humanitarian efforts around the world? QUYEN CHU: Well, first of all, I want to credit my wife Trina, who's been there for me. She's basically the backbone of my life, allowing me the opportunity to pursue my passion. She's a lawyer. She put her career in the back seat so that I can have a successful career. So I want to make sure that I acknowledge her sacrifice and her love. Because of her love and her understanding, I was able to pursue my passion, which is giving back. My colleague, Dr. Gazi Zibari is from Kurdistan. And one day, he showed me pictures of the Kurds, and he gave me the history of the struggle the Kurds. And it was reminiscent of the struggles of the Vietnamese, so it resonates with me. And I said to him one day, hey, listen, when you do go, I would love to join you. And so I did. And from that point on, I returned, I think, four or five additional times. We did not return last year or so because of COVID, but we're planning to return again to Kurdistan and Iraq. But it was an opportunity for me to really give back what I wanted to do all along, which is to render care to the less-fortunate individuals of our lives. I also went to Vietnam, Nicaragua, Honduras, and also on those different mission trips. And, you know, Dr. Zibari and I have gone together for many of these trips. And we come to realize, you know, what-- the great thing to do is capacity building. In other words, we should visit these countries not just once but several times to make sure that the surgeons there feel comfortable with the procedures that we taught them and that, hopefully, that they will also teach the other surgeons the procedures, the techniques that we taught them. And we were very pleased when we went back to see that these surgeons were very adept in what they were doing-- Whipples, liver resection. They were doing phenomenal things. In fact, I think the greatest sense of pride in me was to see a young surgeon in Kurdistan who did a laparoscopic right-liver resection bloodless. We felt very proud because-- I was looking at Dr. Zibari, and I said, you know what-- I can't even do that. And it's amazing to see how they have not only learned our skills, but they exceeded us. And isn't that what we all want, that our mentees to be better than us? And so to me, that was a great sense of pride. At the end, the young man came up to me and says, mentor, I hope I did it right. Did I make any mistake? And I chuckled. And I said, no. I could not have done what you've done. You have done amazingly. And he was so happy. He was so proud. He says, I'm so glad that I make you proud of me, Dr. Chu. So to me, that's probably the greatest thing is to see your mentee better than you and still see that respect that you got from them. DAVE JOHNSON: We're really happy you mentioned that because one of the themes of our podcast has been mentor and mentor relationships. And you had a remarkable relationship with Dr. Wanebo. Would you like to expand on that somewhat or tell us about that relationship? QUYEN CHU: Sure. Dr. Wanebo-- I always joke around. I said, Dr. Wanebo, you're a gifted surgeon with an internal-medicine demeanor. He is just so nice. He never loses his cool. And the great thing about him is that every time I have an idea, he would always push me to pursue it. There's never been a, no, it can't be done. No, that's not how-- you will never get it done-- never like that. It's always, this is a great idea, Quyen. Why don't you pursue it. And in fact, he would give me deadlines and say, why don't you get back to me in two weeks and see where we go with that. I remember visiting him in his very busy clinic. And his PA would always trying to brush me aside because they were so busy. And he would always say, no, no, no, come on, Quyen. What do you have for me? What do you need? He would always make time, even in this busy clinic, to help mentor me. And then whenever I'd write a paper or abstracts, he would look at it. He would fix it, and he would send it back to me and ask me to work on it. So he's been a great mentor, just a great person all around. PAT LOEHRER: Quyen, if you could think about a young professional or young student right now and give them some advice, what would it be? QUYEN CHU: I think the best advice is that you pursue your passion. I know it sounds so trite, but pursue your passion. Seek out mentors who believe in you, and avoid those naysayers because I think that young people have so many insecurities. And they're great people. They're so naive, and they're so fresh. They're not tainted with all of the flaws of the world. And I always worry that when they encounter negative people, it fills their mind with negativity. And that, to me, is not very constructive. So I would advise young people to seek out optimistic, idealistic people to be mentors. And then I think the rest will follow. And they will learn what can be done, what can't be done. Obviously, you need a mentor to advise them so that they don't fall into your trappings of making major mistakes. But I think that mentors should be someone who is inspiring, who is positive, who can tell them that, hey, you can do it. And if you fail somewhat, it's not the end of the world. Seek out your passion, and never give up. DAVE JOHNSON: That's great advice, Quyen. I have just one more question I wanted to ask and perhaps should have asked a bit earlier. How did you end up in Louisiana? QUYEN CHU: That's a great question. So at the end of my fellowship, I had opportunities to stay up north. Then I got a call from my previous partner to say, hey, listen, I'm in Shreveport. Why don't you come by. In fact, it's funny because when I heard the word "Shreveport," it sounds, to me, Chinese. And I said, why would I want to go to China to practice? I didn't know where it was. And then they said, no, no, this is in Louisiana. And I really thought about, nah, I don't want to go. But my wife said, listen, why don't you just go down there and take a look so that at least you won't offend the person who asked you to come down. So I went down there for an interview. And it really resonates with me about the needs, that patients there did not have, in my opinion, good surgical oncology care. There was a huge need. I saw the mortality for esophagus, gastric cancer. They were high. I saw a lot of cancers that were neglected. And the chair there, Dr. Turnage, was wonderful. And he said, listen, Quyen. Nobody's going to compete against you. We just got a huge need. I think that you would find a niche here, that you can really, really develop a practice here, and then I can mentor you for the academic part. So I thought about it. And then I talked to Trina, my wife. And I said, this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to give back. I didn't want to be just another spoke on the wheel. I wanted to make a difference. I think I can do this here. And so we took a chance, and I think that we're very happy with that decision we made. PAT LOEHRER: Well, Quyen, I just, as I reflect on this and think about that leadership-development program, there are many different kinds of leaders, but I can't think of a person who serves as a better example as a servant leader than you. You have given of yourself in so many ways. In this particular past few years. Where there's been so much angst and polarization in this country, and even consideration of isolationism and not having immigrants come into the country, I hope people listen to this, the podcast, and realize what the impact was of a man and a woman who decided to bring their kids over here. And he became a barber, which is not that prestigious of a job, if you will. But his impact on this country is huge. Mark Twain had a little quote. He said, "The two most important days of your life are the day that you were born and the day you find out why." And when you guys were born in Vietnam, you had no clue what was going on, but you are one of the fortunate people who know why you're here, and that's to make a difference. And I just want to tell you that you have. Thank you so much for your time with us today. DAVE JOHNSON: Yeah, it's been great. QUYEN CHU: Thank you very much. DAVE JOHNSON: Quyen, this has been marvelous, and we're both great admirers of yours. And I could not agree more with Pat about the impact that you've had. One thing we like to do with our guest at the end is ask you if there's something you've read recently, or a documentary, or something, a movie or something you've seen that you would recommend to us and to our listeners. Is there something special that you've read recently or maybe seen that you'd like to recommend? QUYEN CHU: Yes. So there's a book by Mr. David Epstein called Range. It's a phenomenal book. It's a book that contrasts Malcolm Gladwell's philosophy about 10,000 hours to be an expert. Mr Epstein took a different approach. He took the approach that you have to be a generalist. In other words, you have to do many things in life before you can hone in on one particular skill set to become an expert in that. So to me, that book, Range, is a fascinating book. I'm midway through. And it's just-- it's a beautifully written book, and it just gives a different perspective of life. I've always loved books that give a different perspective for a particular topic. And I would highly recommend our readership to read Range by David Epstein. DAVE JOHNSON: Yeah. I also read that, and it is a fabulous book. I couldn't agree more. QUYEN CHU: Yeah. DAVE JOHNSON: Well, we've come to the end of our session. And I really want to take this opportunity to thank our listeners and thank Quyen for joining us. It's been a marvelous session. QUYEN CHU: I appreciate it. Thank you, David, and thank you, Pat. DAVE JOHNSON: Thanks for tuning in. This is an ASCO educational podcast, where we will talk about anything and everything, really. We really will. So if our listeners have any ideas for our topic or guests that you'd like to hear, please email us at education@asco.org. Thanks, again, and remember that November 9 is National Louisianan Day. And Pat, just so you know, November 16 is National Indiana Day. I'm sure you already knew that. PAT LOEHRER: I love it. Every day's Indiana Day. DAVE JOHNSON: No, every day is Texas Day. PAT LOEHRER: Thanks, guys. [MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER: Thank you for listening to this week's episode. To make us part of your weekly routine, click Subscribe. Let us know what you think by leaving a review. For more information, visit the comprehensive eLearning center at elearning.asco.org.
Football and Arabic literature haven't always had an easy relationship. Football has inspired famous authors like Mahmoud Darwish, and anonymous fans who have composed powerful stadium chants. But the sport is sometimes looked down on by writers. We celebrate the sport and its chroniclers, featured in the FOOTBALL-themed fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly. SHOW NOTES Today, we talk our way through the Fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly, which is all about literature and football. We open with a chant from the Casablanca team RAJA, “Fi bladi delmouni,” or “I Was Wronged in My Own Country,” in the original and then translated by Hicham Rafik. For more background, read Aida Alami's “The Soccer Politics of Morocco,” in The New York Review of Books. We go out on the Ultras Ahlawy chant “Hekayetna,” or “Our Story,” translated by Mina Ibrahim. We also talk about Mina Ibrahim's moving essay “Egyptian Football's Missing Archives.” Mid-way, we read from Syrian author Luqman Derky's “Knocking on Blue Freedom's Door,” translated by Daniel Behar. You can find the issue at arablit.org/store
Host Marcia Franklin talks with Dr. Abraham Verghese, a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine and an author of both fiction and non-fiction works. They discuss not only the themes of his work, but also his thoughts on healthcare reform and ways for doctors to establish better working relationships with their patients. Verghese's first book, My Own Country, was a poignant chronicle of how his life was changed by working with AIDS patients in rural Tennessee. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He went on to pen another non-fiction work called The Tennis Partner, about a doctor's struggle with mental illness and drug addiction. He is also a frequent contributor to magazines and journals, writing articles about medical ethics. In his first novel, Verghese turned his focus to a work of fiction, Cutting for Stone. It is set in Ethopia, where he grew up. The expansive book follows the saga of two Indian brothers as they learn more about their past. With medicine as its backdrop, it also allows Verghese to explore some of what he views as the best and worst aspects of his profession. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/10/2009 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference," and was taped at the 2009 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.
Physician and professor Abraham Verghese joins Paul Holdengräber for a rich discussion around storytelling as a means of survival and how this current moment in America requires more than just a change in legislation, but a transformation of the human heart.Abraham Verghese MD, MACP, DSc (Hon), FRCP (Edin)Professor of Medicine, Stanford University Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor Vice Chair for the Theory and Practice of Medicine. Abraham Verghese is a critically acclaimed author and a prominent voice in medicine. His books have sold millions of copies and are broadly translated. His gifts as a storyteller give him powerful appeal for healthcare professionals and non-medical audiences alike.He sees a future for healthcare that marries technological innovation with hands-on physical diagnosis, and has a deep faith in patients’ stories and the power of touch in providing what patients most want – healing, if not curing. Dr. Verghese’s novel, Cutting for Stone, topped the New York Times bestseller list for over two years and My Own Country, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and made into a movie. The Tennis Partner was a New York Times Notable Book. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Granta, and The Wall Street Journal.He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians, elected to the Association of American Physicians, as well as, notably in 2011, to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a 2014 recipient of the Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities, and in 2016 he was honored with a National Humanities Medal in a ceremony at the White House with President Barack Obama.
Yascha Mounk, the founder of Persuasion, joins Sarah and David to discuss his new publication and the project of defending liberal democracy. Show Notes: -Persuasion -Stranger in My Own Country -Stop Firing the Innocent See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Weiss and Yascha Mounk about the state of global politics. They discuss the rise of right-wing populism in Europe, the prospect that democracy could fail in the US, Trump’s political instincts, the political liability of “wokeness,” the Left’s failure to re-think its support of Chavez, the dangers of political polarization, the attractions of extreme partisanship, cancel culture, and other topics. Michael Weiss is an internationally respected investigative journalist who has covered the wars in Syria and Ukraine and published widely on Russian espionage and disinformation. His first book, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (co-written with Hassan Hassan), was a New York Times bestseller and named one of the Top Ten Books on Terrorism by the Wall Street Journal as well as one of the Best Books of 2015 by The Times of London. Weiss is a regular guest on CNN, MSNBC, the BBC and Real Time with Bill Maher. He writes a column for The Daily Beast. Website: michaelweissjournalist.com Twitter: @michaeldweiss Yascha Mounk is a writer, academic, and public speaker known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. He is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and a senior advisor at Protect Democracy. A frequent contributor to The Atlantic, the New York Times, and Die Zeit, Mounk is the host of Slate’s The Good Fight Podcast. He has written three books: Stranger in My Own Country, The Age of Responsibility, and The People versus Democracy, which explains the causes of the populist rise and investigates how to renew liberal democracy. Website: yaschamounk.com Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk
Today young people are trying to balance the question of “What do I want to do when I grow up?” with the question of “Who and how do I want to be in the world?” Physician and writer Abraham Verghese and education researcher Denise Pope argue that’s because the way we educate for success doesn’t support the creation of full, well-rounded humans. And they see the next generation challenging our cultural view of success by insisting that a deeply satisfying life is one filled with presence, vulnerability, and care for others. Abraham Verghese is a professor of medicine, vice chair of the Department of Medicine, and Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor at Stanford University. His books of fiction and non-fiction include “My Own Country,” “The Tennis Partner,” and the novel “Cutting for Stone.” He received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2016. Denise Pope is a senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education and the co-founder of the non-profit organization Challenge Success. She’s the author of “Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students;” and a co-author of “Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids.” This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Abraham Verghese and Denise Pope — How Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” Find more at onbeing.org.
Today young people are trying to balance the question of “What do I want to do when I grow up?” with the question of “Who and how do I want to be in the world?” Physician and writer Abraham Verghese and education researcher Denise Pope argue that’s because the way we educate for success doesn’t support the creation of full, well-rounded humans. And they see the next generation challenging our cultural view of success by insisting that a deeply satisfying life is one filled with presence, vulnerability, and care for others. Abraham Verghese is a professor of medicine, vice chair of the Department of Medicine, and Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor at Stanford University. His books of fiction and non-fiction include “My Own Country,” “The Tennis Partner,” and the novel “Cutting for Stone.” He received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2016. Denise Pope is a senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education and the co-founder of the non-profit organization Challenge Success. She’s the author of “Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students;” and a co-author of “Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids.” Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
The acclaimed Stanford professor and author of Cutting for Stone, My Own Country, and The Tennis Partner joins me to talk MAD TRUTH about the intersection of medicine and simply being human. Video, full transcript, topic list, links, and more at http://zdoggmd.com/incident-report-170
Mixtape preparada pelo Thiago Deejay que é radialista, responsável pelos programas Heavy Pero No Mucho todas as madrugadas e Rock N Roll Party aos sábados a noite, ambos na 89 – A Rádio Rock, se ligue em algumas bandas que ele selecionou: Misfits, Hateen, Detroit Cobras, Skamoondongos, Nine Inch Nails, Sons de Saturno, Clash, Chuva Negra, Johnny Cash, Não Há Mais Volta, faça o download agora. (clique com o botão direito e selecione salvar). Para ouvir outras músicas do artista clique nos links. 01 – Pobre Plebeu – Skamoondongos 02 – Soothie – Socotra 03 – 20 Eyes – Misfits 04 – My Own Country – Pennywise 05 – Step Down – Sick Of It All 06 – Message of the Bhagavad – Shelter 07 – Feiticeira – Deftones 08 – Mr. Oldman – Hateen 09 – De Ser Como É – Sons de Saturno 10 – Hurt – Johnny Cash 11 – Everything – Nine Inch Nails 12 – California – Delinquent Habits Ft. Sen Dog 13 – Cha Cha Cha Twist – Detroit Cobras 14 – Esta Casa Mata Fascistas – Chuva Negra 15 – Falsas Promessas – Não Há Mais Volta 16 – The Guns of Brixton – The Clash 17 – Pay to Cum – Bad Brains 18 – Blind – Face to Face 19 – Para Conseguir – Presto? 20 – Money – Easy Star Allstars A próxima mixtape vai pro ar no dia 03/05/2017.
Mike Bartlett talks to Anne McElvoy about his play Bull which takes to the stage at the Young Vic this month and Game which opens at the Almeida in February. Also Dr. Andy Martin evaluates Soumission, the new Michel Houellebecq novel creating controversy in France; Cleo Van Velsen discusses Hans Fallada's 1944 prison diary A Stranger in My Own Country; and the artists Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson reveal Song for Coal, their new work about energy which goes on display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Author and Physician Abraham Verghese speaks on techniques, quirks, and joys of writing history and biography. Verghese has written three books titled My Own Country, The Tennis Partner, and most recently, Cutting For Stone. (May 4, 2011)
SAJA presents a conversation with one of the most popular South Asian writers in America. Dr. Abraham Verghese, author of "My Own Country" and "The Tennis Partner" has a brand-new novel, "Cutting for Stone." A testimonial: “Abraham Verghese has always written with grace, precision and feeling [but] he’s topped himself with Cutting for Stone. A vastly entertaining and enlightening book.” — Tracy Kidder
Filmmaker, Photographer, and Educator, Mitra Sen is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the York University Film Production program. She began her career in the Canadian film industry as the Assistant Director on the International Emmy Award winning CBC television series Degrassi Junior High. She has worked in various aspects of filmmaking including scriptwriting, producing, production managing, directing, editing and casting on a variety of feature films including My Own Country, Sam and Me, and Cocktail. Mitra is also a teacher with the Toronto District School Board where her experiences with children have inspired her to create award winning films including Just a Little Red Dot and The Peace Tree. The Peace Tree portrays the wishes of three girls, two Muslim and one Christian, that cooperate in order to find a way to overcome their parents' resistance to observe each other's holiday celebrations. The film has also inspired the creation of Peace Trees in schools around the world. The official Peace Tree Day festival is celebrated on June 1st worldwide.
Scripture: Matthew 13:22Reference: A Guest in My Own Country by George Konrad