“Writing for Wellness: A Poetic Medicine Approach” with Rosemarie Dombrowski

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION

In this talk, we’ll review the history of poetic medicine and discuss some of the studies that support the efficacy of writing (and reading) poetry as a means to increasing our capacity for self-reflection, resiliency, and healing. We’ll also experience the benefits of this approach by engaging in reading and writing exercises designed to help us recast our narratives (medical and otherwise), and combat the impacts of stress, illness, grief, and ageing.

This program is cohosted by the Maricopa County Library District – George T. Lord Library.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Rosemarie Dombrowski (RD) is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Phoenix, AZ, the founding editor of rinky dink press, and the founding director of Revisionary Arts, a nonprofit that facilitates self-care and healing through poetry. Dr. Dombrowski has published three collections of poetry and is the recipient of a fellowship from the Academy of American Poets, an Arts Hero award, and the Arizona Humanities Outstanding Speaker Award. In 2022, she gave a TEDx talk entitled “The Medicinal Power of Poetry.” Dr. Dombrowski is a teaching professor at Arizona State University and a professor of practice at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix.