Monthly Archives: March 2009

Mar28

Throwing a pitch

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Throwing a pitch

I made my pitches today for my upcoming book to some editors and literary agents. My heart was pounding, I could hear my pulse in my head. I’m a pretty confident gal, but when I heard my own voice shaking, I knew I had entered into a territory where I could get my a&& handed to me.

I won’t bombard you yet with what I pitched, and it’s also a work in progress, but here’s some of the feedback:

1. “Great blog titles. Not sure about tying to NYC vs. broader? I think concept maybe has more there to play with…I’d like to talk with you.”

2. “Congrats on [your] untraditional practice- good for you. Kudos for the blog! Compelling [book]title. Need to be prepared for potential career issues surrounding media around a book launch. Congrats for battling through depression and wanting to help others.”

3. “Brave & major. People will relate. See your story to the literature on depression, doctors/professionals with depression overcoming all odds and tell other stories if you can find them.”

4. “This could be very powerful. Great idea and could help many docs.”

5. “Important subject. Stay with it.

6. “You’re brave & should connect well with others with depression.”

7. “Much of this will depend on the writing. It’s hard to comment without seeing your work.”

So, I made it through, all the while breathing fast and had my heart pounding for the next thiry minutes. But WHEW! I’d do it all over again…

Next goal: come up with my chapter outlines over the next month and a list of competing books.

Onward and forward soldiers!

Mar9

Science is back

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Science is back

By putting his signature on a paper, eight years of scientific dormancy has been lifted by President Barack Obama. Thank God.

As a doctor, saving lives is what I stand for. While I understand the controversies of destroying embryos (while extracting stem cells), as a scientist I put more importance on saving those who are already living in this world. Those who have families, are teachers, doctors, policemen, firefighters and the list goes on and on. It is more important to me to ensure that these people live the most productive lives as possible. Because embryonic stem cells are capable of developing into any type of cell or tissue in the body, they hold the possibility for treatments and cures for ailments as varied as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. Stem cells may someday be used to treat catastrophic injuries, such as spinal-cord damage.

As the world gets smaller and China and India advance rapidly, the United States must ensure that we stay on top of the scientific pyramid. Bush made sure that the U.S. deteriorated scientifically and now it’s time to make up for that.

Onward and forward!