Why Medicine Needs Memoir

Medical stories overlook the complexity of the experience of patients, caregivers, and providers. Learn what makes for compelling human-centered narratives about medicine and medical experiences that avoid oversimplification, make space for conflict, and address broader issues. Walk away with usable tips, techniques, and writing strategies that will ensure multidimensional storytelling.

Facilitator Bio

Diane Shader Smith has been a writer, speaker, publicist and fundraiser for 30 years. Her roster of past and present clients is extensive and includes products, personalities, services and celebrities during her multi-decade career.

Diane has raised more than 5 million dollars for cystic fibrosis and basic science research with a current focus on phage therapy, a novel treatment to combat antibiotic resistance, one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.

For the past two years, Diane has been traveling the country speaking about many different issues but most notably on behalf of her late daughter Mallory, who had her memoir published posthumously. Salt in My Soul: An Unfinished Life by Mallory Smith is a compilation of Mallory’s journal entries that Diane read, condensed, and shared with Penguin Random House. They published it—calling Mallory’s work, “life-changing.”

Diane speaks about amplifying the patient voice, narrative medicine, the need for collaboration, disability, advocacy, and the power of words.

Her own books include Mallory’s 65 Roses, Stevie’s Secret, A Test of Will, Undressing Infidelity: Why More Wives are Unfaithful. Her articles have appeared in: The LA Times, USA Today and The San Diego Union Tribune, among others. She started her career on the writing staff of the ABC-TV Show, General Hospital.

A UCLA graduate, Ms. Smith has been interviewed by The Today Show, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, The Hollywood Reporter, and many other media outlets. In the midst of her profound grief following the loss of her daughter Diane gave a TEDx talk about love, loss and legacy.

Event Details

November 16, 2021
6:00-7:30 pm
Online