Janice P. Nimura
College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 6:30 pm EST
Online Event
About this Event
THE DOCTORS BLACKWELL is about the first female doctors in the US--sisters Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, who, in 1857, also founded the very first hospital staffed by women, the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. A section of the book is, of course, based in Philadelphia given the city's prominence in early (and existing!) US medicine. Nimura brings history alive on the page to thrilling effect, creating an extraordinary work of feminist, medical, and New York/U.S. history.
This virtual event will feature a live discussion between author Janice P. Nimura and Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, author of Dr. Mutter's Marvels. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A with audience participation.
To purchase THE DOCTORS BLACKWELL, go to muttr.org/doctorsblackwellbook!
*Please note that book shipments will begin on the release date of 1/19/21 and regulations due to COVID-19 may cause additional delays.
ABOUT The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women—and Women to Medicine
The world recoiled at the notion of a woman doctor, yet Elizabeth Blackwell persisted—in 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. Her achievement made her an icon—“I am convinced that a new & nobler era is dawning, for Medicine,” she wrote—but her sister Emily, eternally eclipsed, was actually the more brilliant physician. Together they founded the first hospital staffed entirely by women, in New York City.
Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women’s rights—or with each other. “Doubt is disease,” Elizabeth insisted. They prevailed against fierce resistance from the male establishment, moving between Britain, France, and America during a tumultuous time of scientific discovery and civil war. This major new biography celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility. As Elizabeth predicted, “a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now.”
FEATURED AUTHOR: Janice P. Nimura
Janice P. Nimura—an independent historian whose last book, Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back, was one of the New York Times's top 50 nonfiction books of 2015—received a Public Scholar Award from the National Endowment of Humanities for her research on THE DOCTORS BLACKWELL. She lives in New York City.
FEATURED MODERATOR: Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is a New York Times bestselling nonfiction writer and poet. She is the author of seven books of poetry as well as the nonfiction books, Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, and Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam. Cristin’s most recent awards include the ArtsEdge Writer-In-Residency at the University of Pennsylvania (2010-2011), a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry (2011) and the Amy Clampitt Residency (2013). Cristin is married to fellow bestselling author and screenwriter Ernest Cline. She lives in Austin, Texas with her family and their two eccentric rescue dachshunds.
Please note:
While we are not charging admission for this virtual event, we do ask that you consider making a donation to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Gifts of any amount help preserve our 230+ years of medical history. We greatly appreciate anything you are able to give!
*The College of Physicians of Philadelphia reserves the right to record the virtual experience for marketing or promotional use.