HSHSL displayed NLM’s traveling exhibit, “Graphic Medicine: Ill-Conceived & Well-Drawn,” December 9, 2024 – January 18, 2025. The exhibit provides insight on how words, symbols, and drawings are used to explain complicated medical topics, and illustrate individuals’ personal stories. Graphic novels, like the ones in HSHSL’s graphic medicine collection, inform readers on illnesses and treatments in a way that’s engaging and comprehensible. According to the NLM’s findings, the experience of writing or drawing a graphic novel is an effective healing strategy for the author. On December 11, 2024, HSHSL hosted Dr. Benjamin Canha, author of “Recovery Cartoons: The 12 Steps”, at a reception for the exhibit. Dr. Canha gave a presentation on how he developed and published his cartoons, and the life experiences that inspired them. HSHSL provided blank comic pages, giving patrons an opportunity to write and draw their own comics.
The National Library of Medicine produced this exhibition and companion website.
