City Arts & Lectures Encore - Abraham Verghese with Michael Krasny
Mar 29, 2026
Abraham Verghese, a physician and bestselling novelist who teaches at Stanford, discusses how medicine and storytelling merge in his work. He talks about empathy in clinical practice, turning family memory and Kerala’s history into fiction, language and revision, and the balance of a medical career with slow, deliberate writing. Short, conversational, and wide-ranging.
01:02:20
Writing Is an Extension Of Clinical Perception
- Abraham Verghese sees writing and medicine as one integrated practice where clinical attention to detail shapes narrative craft.
- He uses storytelling skills to glean overlooked diagnostic clues and writing to clarify thoughts that elude him during daily work.
Novel Sparked My Calling To Medicine
- Of Human Bondage triggered Verghese's epiphany that medicine suited someone who understands humanity more than technical genius.
- He describes a vivid scene in the third-year wards that convinced him medicine was a viable, meaningful vocation.
Fiction Delivers Public And Internal Truths
- Verghese argues fiction can reveal deeper truths and mobilize public action more than non-fiction.
- He cites Uncle Tom's Cabin ending slavery and The Citadel influencing creation of the NHS as examples.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Medicine and Writing as One Vocation
01:33 • 3min
Storytelling, Empathy, and Clinical Practice
04:07 • 2min
Audiobook Insights and Oprah's Influence
06:04 • 2min
Of Human Bondage and the Call to Medicine
07:42 • 3min
From Iowa to Nonfiction: Finding His Voice
10:33 • 3min
Aims: A Good Story Well Told
13:26 • 2min
Geography as Character and Immigrant Voice
15:40 • 5min
Roots, Hometowns, and the Outsider Perspective
20:18 • 36sec
Inspiration from Family: The Covenant of Water
20:54 • 8min
Transforming Family Memory into Fiction
28:51 • 1min
Historical Canvas: Disease, Politics, and Kerala
30:10 • 2min
Water as Metaphor and Medical Mystery
31:46 • 4min
Language, Lyricism, and Revision
35:36 • 2min
Writers at Dinner and Literary Influences
37:51 • 2min
Chekhov, Mortality, and the Physician-Writer Tradition
39:47 • 2min
Reading Habits and Catching Up on Classics
42:04 • 2min
Fame, Humility, and Gratitude
44:28 • 3min
Pace of Work and the Value of a Day Job
47:34 • 2min
Audience Questions: Fears and Death
49:30 • 3min
Villains, Moral Complexity, and Claude
52:40 • 2min
Advice for Students: Medicine First, Then Writing
54:21 • 4min
If His Mother Were Alive: Her Reaction
58:00 • 2min
Outro
01:00:19 • 2min
#4322
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
The Covenant of Water
Abraham Verghese
The Covenant of Water, set in Kerala on South India's Malabar Coast, spans the years 1900 to 1977.
The novel revolves around three generations of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family, particularly the life of Mariamma, a twelve-year-old girl who marries a 40-year-old widower and becomes the matriarch known as Big Ammachi.
The family is plagued by 'The Condition', a mysterious affliction where at least one member of each generation dies by drowning.
The story intertwines with the life of Digby Kilgore, a Scottish doctor, and explores themes of family, faith, love, loss, and medical progress.
The novel is a testament to the hardships of past generations and the interconnectedness of lives through time and space.
#3523
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
The world according to Garp
John Irving
The novel tells the story of T.S.
Garp, whose mother, Jenny Fields, is a strong-willed nurse who conceives him in an unconventional manner.
Garp grows up to be a writer, wrestler, and devoted parent, navigating a world filled with 'lunacy and sorrow'.
The story delves into themes of feminism, sexual identity, and the struggles of the characters against intolerance and violence.
It features a complex Dickensian plot that spans Garp's entire life, including his relationships with his mother, his wife Helen, and his friend Roberta Muldoon, a transsexual ex-football player.
#31055
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
My Own Country
Abraham Verghese
My Own Country: A Doctor's Story by Abraham Verghese recounts his time as an infectious disease specialist in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the early years of the AIDS epidemic.
The book explores themes of empathy, prejudice, and the human condition as Verghese becomes deeply involved in the lives of his patients.
It is a powerful narrative that blends medicine with personal reflection, highlighting the challenges faced by both patients and healthcare providers in a conservative community.
#8090
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
The Citadel
A. J. Cronin
The Citadel follows the life of Andrew Manson, a young and idealistic Scottish doctor, as he navigates the challenges of practicing medicine across interwar Wales and England.
The novel confronts traditional medical ethics and highlights issues of social and health inequalities, drawing from Cronin's own experiences as a physician.
It is noted for its influence on the formation of the National Health Service.
#8376
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Of Human Bondage
W. Somerset Maugham
Somerset Maugham's "Of Human Bondage" is a semi-autobiographical novel exploring themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning.
The story follows Philip Carey, a young man with a clubfoot, as he navigates the complexities of life and relationships.
Maugham's masterful storytelling and his insightful portrayal of human emotions have made "Of Human Bondage" a classic of English literature.
The novel's exploration of themes such as ambition, self-discovery, and the human condition continues to resonate with readers.
Its unflinching portrayal of human flaws and its exploration of the complexities of human relationships have secured its place as a literary masterpiece.
#29671
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Tennis Partner
A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss
Abraham Verghese
In 'The Tennis Partner', Abraham Verghese recounts his friendship with David Smith, a medical student recovering from drug addiction.
Their bond, forged through tennis, becomes a source of strength and support as they face personal demons.
The book explores themes of loyalty, loss, and the healing power of human connection.
It delves into the complexities of addiction and the limits of friendship in the face of adversity.
#
microbe hunters
paul de kruif
"Microbe Hunters" by Paul de Kruif is a captivating book that tells the stories of pioneering microbiologists and their groundbreaking discoveries.
De Kruif vividly portrays the lives and struggles of scientists such as Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, as they battled disease and revolutionized the understanding of the microbial world.
The book chronicles their relentless pursuit of knowledge, their innovative experiments, and the impact of their work on medicine and public health.
"Microbe Hunters" is celebrated for its engaging narrative style, which made complex scientific concepts accessible to a wide audience, and for its role in inspiring generations of scientists and researchers.
#798
• Mentioned in 44 episodes
The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky between 1867 and 1869, 'The Idiot' follows the story of Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, a young man with a pure and innocent heart, often mistaken for an 'idiot' due to his simplicity and goodness.
The novel examines how this 'positively beautiful man' navigates a world filled with corruption, moral decay, and complex human relationships.
Myshkin's interactions with characters like Nastasya Filippovna and Aglaia Epanchina highlight themes of love, suffering, sacrifice, and the clash between idealistic values and the harsh realities of society.
The novel ultimately leads to Myshkin's mental breakdown and his inability to cope with the world around him.
#583
• Mentioned in 55 episodes
Uncle Tom's cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Published in 1852, 'Uncle Tom’s Cabin' is a seminal work by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicts the harsh realities of slavery in the United States.
The novel follows the story of Uncle Tom, a dignified and religious enslaved man, and Eliza, a fugitive slave, among other characters.
It highlights the cruelty and injustices of the slave system and the emotional toll on enslaved individuals and their families.
The book was a massive success, selling over 300,000 copies in its first year and becoming the second-best-selling book of the 19th century after the Bible.
It played a significant role in fueling the abolitionist cause and is credited with influencing public opinion on slavery.
#11137
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Cutting for Stone
Abraham Verghese
The novel tells the story of twin brothers Marion and Shiva Stone, born of a secret union between an Indian nun and a British surgeon.
Orphaned at birth, they grow up in Ethiopia, bound by a deep connection and a shared fascination with medicine.
The story follows their journey through love, loss, and the complexities of family, as they navigate their lives from Ethiopia to New York City.
The book delves into themes of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and the unbreakable bonds of family, set against the backdrop of medical miracles and the tumultuous history of Ethiopia.
#72441
The Adventures of Augie March
Saul Bellow
Set in Great Depression-era Chicago, the novel tracks Augie March's moral and emotional development from boyhood to adulthood.
Augie navigates a series of careers and encounters, living by his wits and resolve.
The story includes his relationships with his family, particularly his brothers Simon and Georgie, and his mentorship by the Machiavellian Grandma Lausch.
Augie's journey takes him through various jobs, romantic relationships, and even service in the Merchant Marine during World War II, ultimately ending with him living in Paris involved in shady dealings and contemplating future adventures.
This program was originally aired in June 2023.
Abraham Verghese is a best-selling novelist, and a physician whose focus on healing and empathy stands out in an era when technology often overwhelms the human side of medicine. His novel Cutting for Stone is the story of twin brothers in Ethiopia coming of age on the brink of the country’s revolution. That book remained on the NYT Bestsellers List for over two years. His newest novel, The Covenant of Water, tells much of the story of twentieth-century India through a single family. Verghese’s nonfiction books are My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story and The Tennis Partner. Abraham Verghese is Professor and Vice Chair for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at the School of Medicine at Stanford University.
On May 11, 2023, Abraham Verghese came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to be interviewed on stage by Michael Krasny, host of the Grey Matters podcast and former host of the award-winning KQED program Forum. Krasny is the author of Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life, Let There Be Laughter, and Spiritual Envy.