Tapas

Just a few odds and ends, none of which offers more than a bite-sized morsel:

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Over the weekend I read The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner, who roamed the world to find the happiest people and figure out what made them that way. One of my daughters recommended it and I admit I was wary, afraid it'd be a doe-eyed New Age polemic about the evils of Western Civilization, finding peace within, blah blah.

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Instead, I found Weiner to be a skeptical, observant, witty, and slightly crabby guide who doesn't pretend to do real research but delivers genuine insights nonetheless. He's an engaging travel writer who reminded me of Calvin Trillin, one of my favorites, and I was especially captivated by his chilling account of the former Soviet republic of Moldova, home of the unhappiest people on the planet. It was easy to see why. Thought-provoking and recommended. I should know to trust my girls.

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I'm lining up a few exciting speaking engagements for 2010 that I'll write about as they get nearer and firmer. The first will be at the Bookbinders' Guild meeting in New York City on Tuesday, February 9. Here's how dumb I am: my first thought upon getting the invitation was, "I don't know anything about bookbinding!" But the Guild is in fact composed of high-powered big-time professionals in book publishing, manufacturing, and sales, and I'll be there (I gather) mostly to talk about how Mom's Cancer evolved from web content to book. Editor Charlie will be on the panel with me, so I expect that to be fun. Unfortunately, I don't think it's open to the public. But I'll blog all about it here!

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Speaking of Mom's Cancer, I just received a draft of an article titled "Graphic Medicine: Comics as a New Tool in Medical Education and Patient Care," which will be published in the British Medical Journal in February. The paper, by Michael Green and Kimberly Myers at Penn State College of Medicine, looks at Mom's Cancer and Marissa Acocella Marchetto's Cancer Vixen as "novel and creative ways to learn and teach about illness." Thousands of physicians are going to read this paper, which also ties into another speaking engagement that looks like it's going to happen in the summer.

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How cool is that? Wish Mom could've seen it.

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