Since 2021, Dr. Guertin and Betsy Wilkening have been masterfully blending fiber art with critical scientific topics like global warming, climate change, and environmental threats, all while offering potential solutions. In 2024, Dr. Decker proposed an innovative expansion: a multimodal ekphrastic project that pairs powerful poetry with evocative art.

 

This book is the stunning result. You'll find a diverse array of artwork—from exquisite fiber art quilts to compelling drawings, paintings, and even museum pieces—each carefully selected to illuminate the theme of "making the unseen, seen" and to forge a powerful connection between science and art through the medium of poetry.

 

We strongly encourage you to delve into the Artist/Scientist Statements at the back of the book. These illuminating insights provide brief, accessible explanations that enhance the thoughtful poems, making complex scientific topics relatable and engaging for everyone.

 

It has been a true joy to bring this project to life. We hope you'll return to these pages again and again, discovering new layers of meaning with each reading.

 

Contributors to this book include: Donald Beagle, Emily Bilman, Joyce Brinkman, Sarah-Beth Bradley, Megan Brown, Emma M. Burkett, Samantha Carr, Joan Ellen Casey, Loralee Clark, Tricia Coulson, Marcela Bianchessi da Cunha-Santino, Dr. Kathleen P. Decker, Zoey Dudding, Jae Dyche, Christie King Eckardt , Kerry Faraone, Catalina Florina Florescu, Anna Isabella Fratarcangelo, Chapman Hood Frazier, Dennis Owen Frohlich, Gail Giewont, Dr. Michale Glennon, Marjorie Gowdy, Jody Gruendel, Dr. Laura Guertin, Cathy Hailey, Lauren Haygood, Kate Hedstrom, Wayne David Hubbard, Mark Hudson, Piper Jameson, Robert J. Keeler, Dr. Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, Barbara Martina Linde, Sally Harcum Maxwell, Greg McNamara, Susan Copley Novack, Holly Panzera, Sarah Parker, Tessa Peixoto, Suzanne Underwood Rhodes, Lynne Schreiber, Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ron Smith, Alica Swain, Johannes Vermeer, Betsy Wilkening, Diana Woodcock, Nicole Zwolinski.

Sociopaths, Cheeseburgers, and the 
'See One, Do One, Teach One' Terror: Brutal Surgical Training of the 70s and 80s
 
     Surgery Stories offers candid insights into Dr. Anthony Rizzo's experiences during his medical school and residency training in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as his later career as a military surgeon. Rather than recounting his entire life story, Dr. Rizzo focuses on the unsupervised, often harsh medical training he endured, sharing shocking anecdotes about medical erroi:.s, the challenges of working in a male-dominate environment, and the ethical dilemmas he face while treating patients. 
 
     The narrative begins with his very first surgery involving a bizarre rectal foreign object. It progresses to tackle complex cases and administrative conflicts, such as the requirement for mandatory open-chest cardiac massage during his residency. It also covers his service as an Air Force surgeon in locations like the Azores. 
 
     Throughout the text, a clear contrast is evident between past and present medical practices, and Dr. Rizzo emphasizes the profound lessons learned from these difficult experiences.