Could books save lives?
A conversation between Dr. Daniel Brandes and Dr. Gabrielle Horne, MD
Cardiologist and King’s MFA alumna Dr. Gabrielle Horne intends to find out through a new partnership between King’s, Nova Scotia Health, and the Atlantic Publisher’s Marketing Association. Join Dr. Horne for a conversation with co-investigator and philosopher Dr. Daniel Brandes, as they explore the potential benefit that a literary solution could offer to a spiritual problem in acute patient care. The common prejudice that literary study is impractical and that the humanities do not bear on ‘real world problems’ will be directly challenged. Questions from the audience will be welcome.
Books by Heart is a research, innovation, and work-integrated learning project that links King’s to industry and community partners. For the 2022-23 school year, King’s students, staff, faculty, and alumni, will have free, unlimited access to a collection of Atlantic Canadian eBooks and audiobooks, as part of the beta testing phase of the project. The testing phase is being primarily led by a team of student employees, an opportunity designed to help them develop skills and experience and build professional networks. The testing phase will inform a smoother pilot in hospital.
Dr. Gabrielle Horne is an associate professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at Dalhousie University, and an attending cardiologist at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. She also co-founded a clinic for patients and families with genes that cause aneurysms. She coordinates the Maritime Connective Tissue Clinic, and she and her colleagues have won a number of awards for this work. She is a great lover of literature, and in 2019, she completed King’s MFA in creative non-fiction.
Dr. Daniel Brandes is an assistant professor at King’s College and Director of the Foundation Year Program. He also teaches metaphysical and religious topics in the Early Modern and Contemporary Studies Programs. After receiving his BA in philosophy and religious studies at the University of Toronto, Dr. Brandes completed a PhD in philosophy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Chicago. His dissertation was entitled, “When Everything is Possible: On Plurality and Evil in the Work of Hannah Arendt” (2003). He has been an active supporter of public humanities initiatives throughout his time at King’s.
