"The Wound Dresser," Jack Coulehan's sixth collection of poems, explores the mysterious tension between tenderness and steadiness in medical practice. Surprised at his own conflicted feelings about his role as a physician, Coulehan seeks to emulate the tender care shown by Walt Whitman as he comforted wounded Civil War soldiers . In so doing, he discovers the healing power of human contact and engagement. With directness, passion, and often humor, these poems evoke an ethic of compassionate solidarity - between patient and ...
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"The Wound Dresser," Jack Coulehan's sixth collection of poems, explores the mysterious tension between tenderness and steadiness in medical practice. Surprised at his own conflicted feelings about his role as a physician, Coulehan seeks to emulate the tender care shown by Walt Whitman as he comforted wounded Civil War soldiers . In so doing, he discovers the healing power of human contact and engagement. With directness, passion, and often humor, these poems evoke an ethic of compassionate solidarity - between patient and doctor, person and family, the individual and the human community. Robert Pinsky, Poet Laureate of the United States from 1997 to 2000, selected "The Wound Dresser" as a finalist for the 2016 Dorset Poetry Prize.
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