Cristin O. Keefe Aptowicz (Book order)

Cristin O. Keefe Aptowicz Book order

Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is a contemporary American poet recognized for her dynamic engagement with slam poetry and the written word. She is the author of multiple poetry collections and a foundational text on the history of slam poetry. Aptowicz's work often delves into themes of identity, community, and the power of language, employing a vibrant and accessible style that captivates audiences. She is celebrated for her distinctive voice and significant contributions to the literary landscape.

Dr. Mutter's Marvels

384 pages
14 hours of reading

4.2(393)Add rating

A mesmerizing biography of a brilliant and eccentric medical innovator who transformed American surgery and founded a renowned museum of medical oddities. Imagine undergoing surgery without anesthesia, performed by a surgeon who refuses to sterilize his tools or wash his hands. This was the medical landscape when Thomas Dent Mütter began his groundbreaking career as a plastic surgeon in mid-nineteenth-century Philadelphia. Despite dying at just forty-eight, Mütter was a daring innovator who introduced ether as anesthesia, advocated for sterilization of surgical instruments, and promoted a compassion-based approach to treating the severely deformed, challenging the prevailing attitudes of his time. Charismatic and flamboyant, Mütter wore pink silk suits in the operating room, added an umlaut to his name for flair, and collected medical oddities that later formed the core of Philadelphia's Mütter Museum. Award-winning writer Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz vividly captures how Mütter's work established Philadelphia as a hub for medical innovation, despite fierce opposition from rivals like Charles D. Meigs, who opposed Mütter's modern views. This narrative intertwines a striking portrayal of nineteenth-century medicine with the captivating biography of a man likened to the "P.T. Barnum of the surgery room."