A writing competition at Stanford University will honor the memory of YSM alumnus Paul Kalanithi, M.D. ’07, who died in March 2015 after a struggle with lung cancer that was chronicled in his bestselling memoir, “When Breath Becomes Air.” The competition is open to all. Details follow below:
“The (Stanford) Palliative Care Section is pleased to announce a solicitation for short stories or poems with themes of facing chronic or life limiting illness in honor of Paul Kalanithi. Paul passed too soon, but left a wonderful legacy in the form of his memoir, “When Breath Becomes Air.” His creativity and commitment to finding meaning in the experience of illness inspired this award.
“Short story entries should be less than 2,500 words and poems should be less than 50 lines. The winner will receive not only the admiration of his or her colleagues, but also a small honorarium.We have found some great and accomplished literary judges, including Abraham Verghese, who will provide a brief commentary on the top three entries. Stanford community entries are encouraged, but anybody can submit their work. We will also feature the work on our website. So send your unpublished prose and poems to Joy Li at joyli@stanford.edu by November 1st!”
After graduating from Yale in 2007, Kalanithi trained in neurosurgery at Stanford, where he had earned his undergraduate degree. His widow, Lucy Goddard Kalanithi, is also a member of the YSM Class of 2007.
To read this announcement on the Stanford website, visit http://medicinecalendars.stanford.edu/event/12459/