” I write essays to clear my mind. I write fiction to open my heart.”
– Taiye Selasi
Lately, I’ve been focusing on the essay as my form of writing of choice. As the quote above says, essays can clear the mind. With everything going on with this pandemic, which is now in the third wave, clearing my mind has been so important. Perhaps you can relate?
Restrictions are increasing in Nova Scotia again and we’re seeing various degrees of lockdown across Canada and the world. I am a lover of all forms of writing. I’ve written a book of poetry, short stories, news articles and tweets. But the essay is magical because it really does help to clear the mind. It helps me to think deeply about subjects I find interesting and clarify my views and understanding of difficult topics. I hope to exercise my creativity more in the near future, through writing more poetry, or perhaps even fiction. But with writing, I go with what moves me at the time. And lately, the essay has been calling my name.
If you’re interested, you can have a look at these two essays I’ve published in the last couple of months. Enjoy!
How family doctors can counter misinformation
In January of this year, I recently took on a role as Editorial Fellow at the medical journal Canadian Family Physician. As the Fellow, I’m learning about all aspects of the journal, everything from graphic design to the scientific review of articles. This month, I wrote the journal’s Editorial about misinformation in the time of COVID-19. Did you know that facts have a half-life? They do! Click here for to read my essay about misinformation in the time of COVID-19.
Should doctors separate their personal from professional lives?
Last but not least, I co-authored this article in a little indie magazine otherwise known as the British Medical Journal. It was my first time publishing anything with them and it was quite a rigorous process, going back and forth with their editing team until arriving at the final version. The piece is about whether doctors should have to separate their personal selves from their professional selves on social media. If you want a quick summary – I think we need to be our more authentic selves, whether at work or online. I’m just one human, after all. Click here for the full article.
Thanks as always for reading and if you’re not yet on my email list, send us an email to let us know you’d like to join! admin@sarahfrasermd.com
