Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database

Graham-Pole, J. & Joy, C., eds.
On Wings of Spirit: Anthology of The American Physicians' Poetry Association

This collection is a wide-ranging view of physician poets writing not only about their professional roles, but about themselves and those around them as human beings. The anthology came about as a tribute to one of its major contributors, poet-physician Rita Iovino who spent many years of her life working with other physician writers and their creative natures.

All of the 29 contributors are physicians and the range of subject matter is broad. The collection is divided into subject matter clusters: Of Medical Matters; Of Love Matters; Of Family Matters; Of Natural Matters; Of Life and Death Matters; Of Philosophical Matters; Of Holy Matters; and two prose essays on the role of poetry in the lives of physicians.

This is an especially interesting collection because it seems to accept the physician-poet voice without pretending to criticize literary quality. The emotions seem genuine and, because they are so, they deserve attention. There are some fine poems here; among the most compelling are those written by Dr. Iovino. New voices abound and it will be exciting to see which of these physician writers will join the limited canon of doctors who are also lauded as gifted poets.