Upcoming Events

Upcoming events for the book are listed in my “readings” section of the web-site: www.bodyimagebook.com. But as a reminder, I will be speaking at Eagle Harbor Books on Bainbridge Island on Thursday October 2 and at Book Passage in Corte Madera (Bay Area) on Saturday October 25. More to come!

Minot, N.D.

On September 11, a day etched in our memories, and a perfect day to talk about compassion, I gave a talk at Minot State University in Minot, ND. Minot is my home town and Minot State is where I graduated with my undergraduate degree. There are a lot of deep connections for me, including my parents and my uncle, who came to the lecture. It was a nearly-full auditorium of about 200 people. After the talk I signed books and talked to some people whom I have known since I was a child. There were also many young women in the crowd, one in particular named K.M.. She sent me this beautiful letter in an email: I cried during the presentation and after when I got back to my dorm. I had to call my mom back home to vent the emotions that I was feeling. I feel that I am now empowered to be who I want to be––and that's okay. For as long as I can remember I have been so scared of being judged and my mind has opened up a little wider and now I can look at the world with confidence and let them judge me. I will be able to retort "well, this is me!"

New York City

I gave a talk at the Columbia University Narrative Medicine Rounds in New York City on September 3. Narrative Medicine is a program for medical students and faculty at Columbia University that was started by Dr. Rita Charon. The purpose of the program is to use poetry, writing and the visual arts to help doctors learn to be more deeply compassionate toward their patients. Dr. Charon wrote the foreword for my book. At the lecture (accompanied by a slide show), the audience consisted of doctors, psychotherapists, medical students, eating disorders specialists and more. It was truly humbling and yet exciting to be able to talk about my book and the idea of compassion for ourselves and each other. I wondered if the act of compassionate photography can help people heal?

On September 5, a balmy Friday evening, I gave a private reading to a group of about 35 people at my friend Caroline’s beautiful rooftop apartment near Central Park in New York. We had very congenial group of old and new friends who enjoyed wine and conversation. I gave a 20-minute reading and then we had books available for people who wanted to buy them. The party was scheduled to end at 9:00 but it went until 11:00, just as the rain moved into the city.