Shamans! Coming to a hospital near you.

The Nytimes recently published an article on Hmong Shamans and medical care and it reminded me of a great book on Sociology + Health: Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Head to 306.461 F145 for that title and peruse the nearby stacks for more books on transcultural medical care, social medicine and health and sickness from a social standpoint. Watch PBS's film The Split Horn: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America for even more information!

Lincoln Bicentennial Lecture

Head up to MLK Library's Washingtoniana Division Tuesday 9/22 at 6:30pm for "From Slavery to Emancipation: Abraham Lincoln in African Memory" presented by Dr. James Horton. Horton is the Benjamin Banneker Professor Emeritus of American Studies and History, George Washington University.

Many Scholars believe that as a defender of national unity, leader in war, and freer of slaves, Abraham Lincoln can be considered one of America's greatest presidents. In commemoration of Lincoln's birth, Dr. Horton will shed light on slavery and emancipation.

Sustain Our Libraries

Be on the lookout for some library themed pastes out and around Pittsburgh.

Come on DC!

Real talk. Book talk.

Lots of literary love this week. In a few hours, Marita Golden will speak at MLK Library about her recent middle east travels. Golden was a Fulbright senior scholar in creative writing and visited universities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. She will speak in the Great Hall at 6:30pm tonight.

Want to learn about "the roots of LGBT oppression, the construction of sexual and gender identities, the history of the gay movement, and how to unite the oppressed and exploited to win sexual liberation for all.?" Come to Busboys and Poets tomorrow night 9/16 at 6:30pm to hear Sherry Wolf talk about her new book: Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation.

News of note.

source: flickr commons

Wapo has an article about the Quest Institutes "Books Behind Bars" program. Apparently a CD-ROM and paper clip halted the entire program. Books Behind Bars donates prisoner-requested books to Virginia Corrections facilities. The active DC based Quixote Center's Books to Prisoners project can be found here.

Nytimes has an op-ed by social sciences favorite Michael Pollan. He's got something to say about health care reform and it makes me hungry.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

September 2009 is the 20th anniversary of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Stop by the Sociology division and pick up a book or two on drugs, addiction, and recovery. Check out www.recoverymonth.gov for resources on how to help and how to get help.