Melanie Ritzenthaler (pictured left), an English professor, has been friends with Amy Fleury (podium) for many years. The slideshow made by Phil Weitl added connecting articles about narrative medicine.
The Doane University English Department and The New Xanadu invited accomplished poet, writer and educator Amy Fleury as a special guest for the annual Lucille Cobb Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the East/West dining room in the Perry Campus Center. The dinner started just an hour before for those who had made a reservation.
The food consisted of a mix of a salad, dinner rolls, green beans with bacon bits, grilled lemon chicken, ribeye steak and two kinds of cheesecake: brownie and plain. Beverages, as well as slices of cheesecake, had already been placed at the tables. There was orange-water, sweet tea, and, for during the lecture, coffee. A majority of the staff and faculty that were present were attracted to the coffee while only a handful of students drank a cup.
Both professors and students seemed to really enjoy what was prepared for the evening.
“I do admit that I wanted to go back for seconds on the steak, but the lecture was about to start,” Phil Weitl, Doane English professor and creator of The New Xanadu, said. “Those who couldn’t stay brought back to-go boxes for the food they really liked.”
Food wasn’t the only thing filling the visitors. Enlightening conversations kept engagement flowing, especially when the topic of discussion is a comparison between last year’s Lucille Cobb Memorial Lecture.
“I remember last year’s lecture being a full house,” said senior Johnathan Schmidt. “I think that was almost the case this time.”
After being welcomed to the podium, Fleury shared her lecture about the intersection of healthcare and the humanities, otherwise known as narrative medicine. She discussed how her experience advocating for her medically complex son, Gram, in a hospital setting for two and a half years has informed her study of the field, influenced her creative work, and cultivated her desire to share what she’s learned. Using inspiration from said experience, Fleury read 10 poems from her poetry manuscript, “Stardust & Luck,” that focused on bright moments as well as when things started going downhill for her son.
Fleury mentioned that the most likely cause is when Gram was moved from the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) because there wasn’t communication between the two to establish the special attention that Gram is required to receive.
Still, it’s necessary to say that Fleury’s son embedded heavy hearts in the practitioners and caregivers during his few moments before and after passing.
“Nurses came from the other side of the hospital to see Gram,” Fleury said to the tearful audience.
The English department will have an unveiling celebration of the 2026 issue of The New Xanadu on Thursday, April 30, at 6 p.m., also located in the East/West dining room. Students who attend and are part of any Weitl’s classes will receive extra credit.
The New Xanadu is a magazine that showcases original unpublished stories, memoirs, essays, and poetry. They also encourage submissions of visual art including photography, sketches, paintings, and more, including images of three-dimensional media.
