NBN Book of the Day Jonathan Gleason, "Field Guide to Falling Ill" (Yale UP, 2026)
Jan 27, 2026
Jonathan Gleason, writer, instructor, and medical interpreter, explores medicine, illness, and queer experience in America. He traces personal and historical threads from a blood clot and HIV prevention to AZT, PrEP, and opioid crises. He discusses interpreting in clinics, archival discoveries, and why a lyrical essay collection can make healthcare feel less isolating.
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Drugs Are Both Medicine And Hazard
- Gleason highlights how drugs like fentanyl and prescription opioids occupy dual roles as lifesaving medicines and substances with high abuse potential.
- That duality complicates regulation and public perception, because medical utility and harm coexist.
Opioid Descent Crossed Class Lines
- Growing up in Ohio during the opioid surge, Gleason watched a friend descend from prescribed opioids to heroin and saw addiction cross socioeconomic lines.
- He notes addiction's random distribution and how theft of privilege doesn't shield anyone.
Stigma Masks Medical Abuse In Marginalized Areas
- Gleason links neglect in impoverished neighborhoods to delayed investigations into suspicious deaths tied to high fentanyl dosing.
- Public indifference and stigma toward marginalized areas can blind systems to patterns of harm.
