Oliver Sacks's Blog, page 4
April 15, 2022
A New Oliver Sacks Podcast, Available Now
Dear Friends,
There was something unique and special about Oliver Sacks’ voice, literally as well as literarily. Those of you who were lucky enough to attend one of his talks, see him on video, or listen to him on the radio know what we are talking about.
If you miss that wonderful voice, its curiosity and compassion, you will want to tune in to the new Oliver Sacks podcast that launches today from Audible.
Radiant Minds: The World of Oliver Sacks includes rare and never-before-published archival tape of Oliver speaking—his audio diaries and his thoughts on various conditions. Each episode of the series centers on a condition that sparked his interest. You will hear from some of the people he wrote about, friends and colleagues who knew him intimately, and scientists doing research in neurology today.
Our host, Indre Viskontas, a neuroscientist and musician, developed a unique relationship with Oliver that started back when she wrote to him as a seventeen-year-old. She was surprised when he replied… but you’ll hear all about that in the pilot episode. And in later episodes, you’ll hear from Tony Cicoria, the man struck by lightning from Musicophilia, and from Witty Ticcy Ray, whom Oliver wrote about in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. We’ll explore the brain’s wondrous ways of adapting to new challenges; and find out why diversity and individuality are ingrained into our very beings.
We’ll speak with neurologists and neuroscientists about memory, creativity, and recovering from trauma. And we will hear from an array of Oliver’s friends and colleagues: from Josh Groban and Renee Fleming to Bill T. Jones and Ed Catmull; from astronauts to music therapists.
The post A New Oliver Sacks Podcast, Available Now appeared first on Oliver Sacks, M.D..
April 12, 2022
Radiant Minds: The World of Oliver Sacks
There was something unique and special about Oliver Sacks’ voice… literally as well as literarily. Those of you who were lucky enough to attend one of his talks, see him on video, or listen to him on the radio know what we are talking about.
If you miss that wonderful voice, its curiosity and compassion, you will want to tune in to the new Oliver Sacks podcast that launches today, from Audible.
Radiant Minds: The World of Oliver Sacks includes rare and some never before published archival tape of Oliver speaking—his audio diaries and his thoughts on various conditions. Each episode of the series centers on a condition that sparked his interest. You will hear from some of the people he wrote about, and many other friends and colleagues who knew him intimately.
Our host, Indre Viskontas, a neuroscientist and soprano, developed a unique relationship that started back when she wrote to him as a seventeen-year-old. She was surprised when he replied… but you’ll hear all about that in the pilot episode. And in later episodes, you’ll hear from Tony Cicoria—the man struck by lightning from Musicophilia, and from Witty Ticcy Ray, whom Oliver wrote about in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. We’ll explore the brain’s wondrous ways of adapting to new challenges; and the lives of people whose brains are unique.
We’ll speak with neurologists and neuroscientists about memory, creativity, and recovering from trauma. And we will hear from an array of Oliver’s friends and colleagues in the arts: from Josh Groban and Renee Fleming to Bill T. Jones and Ed Catmull; from astronauts to music therapists.
Listen to the audio trailer for Radiant Minds and stream all nine episodes from today!
The post Radiant Minds: The World of Oliver Sacks appeared first on Oliver Sacks | Official Website of Author, Neurologist & Foundation.
April 8, 2022
World Premiere of “Awakenings” Opera in St Louis
Nearly twenty years ago, Oliver Sacks wrote a letter to his friend Tobias Picker, whose opera, An American Tragedy, premiered recently at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Dear Tobias…
I really think you have written a masterpiece … I could not think of the Music, the Drama and the Staging separately – they came together as a marvellous whole. It is easy to believe that it has demanded ten years of work, of your life… I cannot help wondering what will come next … (as a sort of creator myself) I know that one is always thinking, consciously or unconsciously, of new ideas, projects, etc. In particular, of course, I wonder if you have had any further thoughts about Awakenings. — Oliver Sacks
Oliver shared many deep interests, especially in music, with Tobias Picker and his husband, Aryeh Lev Stollman, and they began discussing an operatic version of Awakenings in the late 1990’s. Stollman, is, like Sacks or Chekhov, a literary physician, who combines the acute eye and observational skills of a doctor and a novelist. In his libretto for Awakenings, he gives authentic life to the patients’ stories, these Sleeping Beauties who had missed living a normal life for so long, awakening as strangers in a new world.
We at the Oliver Sacks Foundation are enormously grateful to Tobias Picker, Aryeh Lev Stollman, and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis for bringing this new work to the world, reminding us all of the power of love, music, and human resilience. Tickets for the world premiere of Awakenings are available and we hope you will join us!
The Awakenings Opera is composed by Tobias Picker, with libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman, and commissioned for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Performed in English with projected English supertitles, accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Event information
Dates:
June 5—24, 2022
Running Time:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Venue:
Loretto-Hilton Center
130 Edgar Road,
St. Louis, MO 63119
A recording from the October 2019 workshop for Awakenings, at Opera Fusion in Cincinatti, Ohio.
A recording from the October 2019 workshop for Awakenings, at Opera Fusion in Cincinatti, Ohio.
Sample AudioSample three tracks from the 2019 Workshop of Tobias Pickers’ Awakenings Opera, recorded at Opera Fusion in Cincinatti, Ohio.
A Slumber Fell Upon the Kingdom (Act 1)
http://www.oliversacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/A-Slumber-Fell-Upon-the-Kingdom-Act-I.m4aIf Time Stood Still For Us (Act II)
http://www.oliversacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/If-Time-Stood-Still-For-Us-Act-II.m4aWhat Is This I See (Act II)
http://www.oliversacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/What-is-This-I-See-Act-II.m4a.fusion-body .fusion-button.button-1{border-radius:50px 50px 50px 50px;}GET TICKETS NOW
Photo of Tobias Picker and Oliver Sacks by Bill Hayes
St. Louis has world-class opera…and much more! Plan a fun getaway and enjoy many other cultural attractions that are unique to this vibrant city. Here’s your itinerary!
Day 1:
Afternoon
Arrive at hotel
Stroll through the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States! Grab a traditional Italian dinner nearby on The Hill
Feeling adventurous? Try two of St. Louis’ most famous foods: toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake.
Day 2:
Morning
Breakfast
Visit the World Chess Hall of Fame*
Browse the shelves at Left Bank Books
Afternoon
Enjoy a yummy lunch at Crown Candy Kitchen, an historic St. Louis establishment
After lunch, explore the St. Louis Art Museum*
Head back to hotel to freshen up
Evening
Leave for the opera!
Enjoy a picnic in the OTSL gardens before the opera
Return to the gardens after the show for cocktails
Day 3:
Morning
Breakfast at a local coffee shop
Return to Forest Park to visit the St. Louis Zoo*, named the nation’s best zoo in 2018 by USA Today!
Afternoon
Go wild for lunch at the City Foundry, St. Louis’s hottest new food hall
Tour Scott Joplin’s former home*, which is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark
Back to hotel to change
Evening
Leave for the opera!
Enjoy a picnic in the OTSL gardens before the opera
Return to the gardens after the show for cocktails
Day 4:
Morning
Breakfast
Play Mozart’s “Papagena” aria on repeat at the Gateway Arch
Lunch
Pack up, head to airport
Marvel at the amazing time you had in St. Louis while you wait for your flight!
The post World Premiere of “Awakenings” Opera in St Louis appeared first on Oliver Sacks | Official Website of Author, Neurologist & Foundation.
November 24, 2021
Oliver Sacks on Gratitude
Dear Readers,
What are you grateful for? Many studies over the past decade have found that people who take time to consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. Practicing gratitude may be one of the most important habits we can cultivate. In early 2015, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, Oliver Sacks looked back at the things he was grateful for over the course of a life well lived.
He wrote:
“There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate—the genetic and neural fate—of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death. I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude.”
We think Gratitude is the perfect holiday gift, for those that know and love Oliver Sacks or those that are just discovering his work. Buy a copy or read more about the book here.
We’re excited to share that Awakenings, Tobias Picker’s new opera based on the Oliver Sacks book, will have its world premiere June 5th, 2022 at the Opera Theater of St. Louis in St. Louis, MO. The opera tells the true story of Dr. Sacks’ astounding treatment of survivors of the great sleeping-sickness pandemic, encephalitis lethargica, which swept across the globe in the early twentieth century.
Read more or buy tickets here.
The recent PBS national broadcast premiere of “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” was very well received, and we’re delighted that our partner, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, is making free educational screenings available to colleges, universities, and select non-profits across the United States. Through the film’s educational release and our free university screenings program, we can bring Oliver Sacks’ inspiring life and legacy to the next generation of scientists and storytellers. If you know any academic or professional institutions, educations, administrators, and/or student groups that might enjoy a free screening, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Kate, Greg, and Abi
The post Oliver Sacks on Gratitude appeared first on Oliver Sacks | Official Website of Author, Neurologist & Foundation.
September 28, 2021
A One-Night-Only U.K. and Ireland Screening of the Oliver Sacks Documentary
Happy Sunday,
We know many of our followers in the U.K. and Ireland have been waiting to see the Ric Burns documentary “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” for a while now, so we wanted to make sure the news didn’t get lost in the noise. “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” will premiere in cinemas across the U.K and Ireland for ONE NIGHT ONLY this week on Wednesday, September 29, followed by a virtual discussion with Kate Edgar, Bill Hayes, Suzanne O’Sullivan, and director Ric Burns.
Tickets are now on sale at www.altitude.film
We’ve loved hearing responses from you all about what you think of the film, so if you end up seeing it please let us know how you liked it!
Best,
The Oliver Sacks Foundation
The post A One-Night-Only U.K. and Ireland Screening of the Oliver Sacks Documentary appeared first on Oliver Sacks | Official Website of Author, Neurologist & Foundation.
A One-Night-Only U.K. and Ireland Screening of the Oliver Sacks Documentary
Happy Sunday,
We know many of our followers in the U.K. and Ireland have been waiting to see the Ric Burns documentary “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” for a while now, so we wanted to make sure the news didn’t get lost in the noise. “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” will premiere in cinemas across the U.K and Ireland for ONE NIGHT ONLY this week on Wednesday, September 29, followed by a virtual discussion with Kate Edgar, Bill Hayes, Suzanne O’Sullivan, and director Ric Burns.
Tickets are now on sale at www.altitude.film
We’ve loved hearing responses from you all about what you think of the film, so if you end up seeing it please let us know how you liked it!
Best,
The Oliver Sacks Foundation
The post A One-Night-Only U.K. and Ireland Screening of the Oliver Sacks Documentary appeared first on Oliver Sacks, M.D..
September 24, 2021
A classic Oliver Sacks book gets an upgrade.
Shortly before his death, Oliver Sacks wrote an essay looking back on his seminal 1985 book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. We are thrilled to announce that this essay will be published for the first time this month, as the preface to a brand new edition of the book.
In his essay, Sacks writes about how some of the people he described thirty years before are still alive and thriving, and he connects the work that began with “Hat” to his later books, which often brought deeper understanding to the conditions he first described back in 1985. He writes:“When I came to publish my own case histories in the 1970s and 1980s, it was virtually impossible to do so in medical journals, which required charts and tables, and ‘objective’ language. Longer, more personal, detailed case histories were considered archaic and ‘unscientific.’ This is beginning to change again—many medical schools have introduced courses in Narrative Medicine, and whole generations of younger neurologists see the case history as a crucial part of medicine. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is often credited for playing a part in this revival of the tradition of case history, and I like to think that is so.”
The new edition of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is available for pre-order in the US and Canada now, and it will be rolling out in other countries soon—stay tuned!
For our friends in the UK and Ireland, we are delighted to announce that Ric Burns’ award-winning documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life will be in theatres for one night only on September 29th, 2021, followed by a virtual discussion with Kate Edgar, Billy Hayes, Suzanne O’Sullivan, and director Ric Burns. The film will be available for streaming online from October 4th. For ticket information, please visit Altitude Films.
On September 20th, London’s Barbican Centre will host a special preview screening ahead of the release, including the virtual discussion. Purchase tickets here.
Also in the UK and Ireland this month is a special series of events produced by Oliver Sacks’ longtime friend and publisher Jacqueline Graham, focusing on Oliver’s legacy as well as his early life in Northwest London, with exclusive footage shot in his childhood home. All are free. Click here for more information or to reserve a spot.Here’s hoping you and yours are well. Happy autumn!Sincerely,Kate, Greg, and Abi
The post A classic Oliver Sacks book gets an upgrade. appeared first on Oliver Sacks | Official Website of Author, Neurologist & Foundation.
A classic Oliver Sacks book gets an upgrade.
Shortly before his death, Oliver Sacks wrote an essay looking back on his seminal 1985 book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. We are thrilled to announce that this essay will be published for the first time this month, as the preface to a brand new edition of the book.
“When I came to publish my own case histories in the 1970s and 1980s, it was virtually impossible to do so in medical journals, which required charts and tables, and ‘objective’ language. Longer, more personal, detailed case histories were considered archaic and ‘unscientific.’ This is beginning to change again—many medical schools have introduced courses in Narrative Medicine, and whole generations of younger neurologists see the case history as a crucial part of medicine. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is often credited for playing a part in this revival of the tradition of case history, and I like to think that is so.”
The new edition of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is available for pre-order in the US and Canada now, and it will be rolling out in other countries soon—stay tuned!
For our friends in the UK and Ireland, we are delighted to announce that Ric Burns’ award-winning documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life will be in theatres for one night only on September 29th, 2021, followed by a virtual discussion with Kate Edgar, Billy Hayes, Suzanne O’Sullivan, and director Ric Burns. The film will be available for streaming online from October 4th. For ticket information, please visit Altitude Films.
On September 20th, London’s Barbican Centre will host a special preview screening ahead of the release, including the virtual discussion. Purchase tickets here.
Also in the UK and Ireland this month is a special series of events produced by Oliver Sacks’ longtime friend and publisher Jacqueline Graham, focusing on Oliver’s legacy as well as his early life in Northwest London, with exclusive footage shot in his childhood home. All are free. Click here for more information or to reserve a spot.Here’s hoping you and yours are well. Happy autumn!
Sincerely,
Kate, Greg, and Abi
The post A classic Oliver Sacks book gets an upgrade. appeared first on Oliver Sacks, M.D..
May 2, 2021
The periodic table in Oliver Sacks’ wallet.
Oliver Sacks was prolific. Besides 16 published books, he also left behind a legacy of brilliant essays, lectures, unpublished drafts, journals, letters, notes, marginalia, audio recordings, film, and more. Part of the Foundation’s work in the six years since he passed has been to gather, digitize, and share as much of that body of work as possible.
Last year, Oliver’s partner Bill Hayes invited us to visit his apartment and photograph some of the small, unassuming items that filled Oliver’s life.
One of the items we found most fascinating was Oliver’s wallet, with his New York driver’s license and other cards still inside. Where most people keep their photo ID, Oliver kept a small card printed with the periodic table of elements.
During filming for the Ric Burns documentary, he spoke about why he did this:
“Oh, I carry a periodic table in my wallet. I love it very much. It stands for order, stability – but it also stands for imagination and mystery. And some of the elements get very, very complicated, as you go above 92 and sort of relativistic and other considerations come in. For example, you cannot understand, on the basis of the periodic table, why gold is gold. It’s a very simple question. In fact, it turns out to be a very deep question. And I am not mathematical enough to tell you the answer. But it involves both quantum physics and relativity.”
Snippets like these, windows into Oliver Sacks’ life and mind, can be found all throughout “Oliver Sacks: His Own Mind.” It explores sides of Oliver that don’t show up in his books, and gives a moving, intimate look into the way he moved through the world. The documentary is available for free streaming through PBS American Masters through May 8, and if you give it a watch we’d love to hear what you think.
Thank you for all of your great comments on our social media channels, and replies to this newsletter—we love hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Kate, Greg, and Abi
The post The periodic table in Oliver Sacks’ wallet. appeared first on Oliver Sacks, M.D..
April 8, 2021
Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich, Oliver Sacks documentary on PBS American Masters
We are delighted to announce that Ric Burns’ documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life will be broadcast throughout the United States on PBS’ American Masters, premiering at 9 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 9th. (Check your local listings for additional times.) This award-winning film will also be available to stream online for free from April 9th through May 7th. For more information, please visit pbs.org/oliversacks.
To learn more about Dr. Sacks and the making of the film, you can also join us for a special 92Y online conversation on Tuesday, March 30 at 7 p.m. EDT. Hosted by journalist Jenna Flanagan, the discussion will include film director Ric Burns, Sacks Foundation director Kate Edgar, Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich, and neurologist Blanca Valdovinos of the University of Rochester Medical Center. We’ll show you preview clips from the film and share plenty of behind-the-scenes stories. Register for free here.
For our friends in France and Germany: Oliver Sacks: His Own Life is now available to stream online on Arte! For other international dates and events, visit oliversacksdoc.com/international.
Wishing you and yours all the sweetness, color, and energy of spring!
The Sacks Team
(Photo by Bill Hayes)
The post Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich, Oliver Sacks documentary on PBS American Masters appeared first on Oliver Sacks, M.D..
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