All Too Well
Fair warning: you do not want me on your Jeopardy team if one of the categories is pop culture. But when it comes to Taylor Swift, I just might surprise you. Like millions of Swifties around the globe, I was on my feet for the entire three hours of her
LOVE Is EleMental
Valentine’s day. Love. Mental Health. These three might seem an unlikely trio, but every February, our Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health hosts an evening called “Love is EleMental.” Last week at Joe’s Pub in NYC, almost 200 people gathered to celebrate the arts, build community awareness about mental health,
The Hare with Amber Eyes
The Hare with Amber Eyes is an extraordinary memoir pieced together with exquisite care by British ceramicist Edmund de Waal. He tells the story of his family, the Ephrussi, who went from Jewish shtetl in Odessa in the 1800s to opulent palaces in Vienna and Paris by the early 1900s.
A Year of COVID by Broadway
Exactly one year ago, I picked up my daughter from her university apartment in Baltimore to drive to NYC, pick up her twin brother, and depart the city to wait out the passing of the novel coronavirus. Exactly one year ago, Broadway went dark for what was to be a
Tracy’s Christmas Carol Challenge
My friend, Tracy, is a nice Jewish girl who loves Christmas carols. This is her favorite time of year to drive around because she has four Christmas carol stations on her car radio. It all started with her elementary school chorus experience and participating in the annual Christmas concerts. Charlie
Mental Health at the Movies
The quiet days following Thanksgiving invite us to slow down a bit. In New York, it is dark by 5 PM, so all the more reason to curl up on the sofa to watch a movie or two. After the Charlie Brown special, what’s worth watching? From feature films to
World Mental Health Day 2020
Tomorrow, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. Initiated in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health, World Mental Health Day creates awareness about mental health and mental illness. The theme this year is Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access. Of course, mental health matters every
Thank You to the Artists
Upon receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature, William Faulkner said that it was the work of the artist to lift up people’s lives and help them endure. I am sure that he would have said the same today. As we enter double digits in the number of weeks sheltering in
The Hero’s Journey
This past Monday, we hosted an evening celebrating the unique capacity of the arts to connect communities and advocate for mental health. Our fourth annual event, Love is EleMental, raised awareness and funds that will translate into improved access to care for individuals with mental illness. The Hero’s Journey is the perfect metaphor
2020 Tracy Challenge
Yes, folks, it is that time again: the Tracy Challenge. Here are the rules. My friend, Tracy, sends me a list of five things that do not immediately appear to have anything to do with mental health, and my mission is to make them all about mental health. Tracy’s Challenge
Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?
This week, legendary puppeteer Carroll Spinney died at the age of 85. Spinney was the artist who brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life on Sesame Street for fifty years! Launched in 1969, Jim Henson’s Sesame Street was “a street like no other.” For generations, Sesame Street has
Get the Popcorn
I am just recovering from my Thanksgiving food coma!! How about you? Whether you are in America celebrating Thanksgiving weekend or down under celebrating the coming of summer; whether you like your popcorn with butter or prefer to pass on this savory snack and have a glass of wine instead,
