From Miracle to Menace: Discussing the Class Divide of Substance Use

A conversation with physician and author, Lydia Kang, to discuss her research related to substance misuse and its varied acceptance in society as seen in her writing, Opium and Absinthe, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, and A Beautiful Poison. Throughout history substance misuse has been a constant among all classes of people. Yet, the acceptability of “using” has changed with time, the substance, the user, and scientific understanding of the nature of addition. This social, moral and political conflict has played out in legislation and in fiction writing. Dr. Kang explores the overlaps and implications of the history, stigma, and acceptance of substance misuse as seen through her historical research, fictional characters, and her career as an internal medicine physician. This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Pleasures & Medical Prescriptions, created by the National Library of Medicine and on display at McGoogan Library Lydia Kang is an author of young adult fiction, adult fiction and non-fiction, and poetry. She graduated from Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine, completing her residency and chief residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. She is a practicing physician and associate professor of Internal Medicine who has gained a reputation for helping fellow writers achieve medical accuracy in fiction. Her poetry and non-fiction have been published in JAMA, The Annals of Internal Medicine, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and Great Weather for Media. She believes in science and knocking on wood, and currently lives in Omaha with her husband and three children.