The Thread: Works to celebrate our doctors and nurses

In new appreciation of our dedicated doctors and nurses, I’m sharing a poem, a wonderful memoir and a sassy romance. 

In between the organic chemistry and the human anatomy classes, young doctors and nurses in training often discover William Carlos Williams. A poet even before he was a physician, Williams wrote about enduring love, the symmetry of beauty and nature and a delightful verse about swiping the last delectable fruit that begins: “I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox …”

A few years ago, a medical resident who knew she’d be lost without the patience and wisdom of the nurses recommended Christie Watson’s memoir to me. Watson is a British nurse turned writer. Her memoir, “The Language of Kindness,” is remarkably compassionate and thoughtful, even in the most painful of moments. One example is when Watson describes cleaning the body and washing the hair of a child who died in a fire.   

Finally, I just couldn’t pass up the novel “Happy Endings” since we’ve all become Fauci-fans.  When journalist and novelist Sally Quinn was creating the irresistible doctor who would romance her main character in her novel, she made her charmer in the image of Dr. Anthony Fauci!  Yes, the same Fauci who’s on the White House coronavirus task force. Quinn told CNN recently that when she met Fauci years ago, she “thought he was brilliant … [and] I thought he was really sexy.”

My doctor and nurse-inspired Thread Must-Reads are a poem, a memoir and a sassy romance:  

• “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams

• “The Language of Kindness” by memoirist Christie Watson

• “Happy Endings” by Sally Quinn