Congratulations to the CNF workshop fellows for 2022

It's the time of year again when I have the solid excuse (not that I need to have one) to immerse myself in the shared joys of the written word. I still experience impostor syndrome whenever I call myself a writer even if, sure, some of my literary pieces have appeared in journals and book chapters. But Prof. Ron Baytan, perhaps sensing this discomfort, said in last year's workshop that doctors who write can be both and are in a class of their own: they are called doctor-writers. 

This list of fellows joining the workshop, just released yesterday, makes me look forward to the workshop.  Through their submissions, I am starting to get to know these doctor-writers, who come from all over the country. The process of close reading doesn't feel like work but a respite, a quiet and contemplative retreat with like-minded people.

Let me also say that it always amazes me how privileged I am to be invited to sit as panelist in this workshop. I'm with Prof. Marj Evasco, one of my favorite poets in the world, and Dr. Joti Tabula, a prolific poet himself but also a patron of creative writing and medical humanities, one of my greatest enablers to write. They live and breathe literature. The things they share in the workshops are the distillation of their personal experiences and craft. To be in the same room with them still feels intimidating, but they exude warmth and generosity. 

I look forward to a meaningful, generative, and inspiring time with other doctor-writers.