Oliver Sacks - Physician, Jew, author, Gay

[B/W Photodude]

As I have mentioned before, I spent many years as a Neuroscience intensive care nurse. One of my favorite authors was Oliver Sacks. He had one of the most unique insights to neurology and wrote many books on neurology and some other subjects. I always knew he was Jewish and somewhere along the way, I became convinced that he was also gay. He recently came out as gay. Didn't matter, he was a great physician, author, and human being. I have also, as I get regular emails from his org, known for some time that he was dying. And today he passed away.  Oliver Sacks died early this morning at his home in Greenwich Village, surrounded by his close friends and family. He was 82. He spent his final days doing what he loved—playing the piano, writing to friends, swimming, enjoying smoked salmon, and completing several articles. His final thoughts were of gratitude for a life well lived and the privilege of working with his patients at various hospitals and residences including the Little Sisters of the Poor in the Bronx and in Queens, New York. Dr. Sacks was writing to the last. On August 14, he published an essay, “Sabbath,” in the New York Times. Two more articles are to be published this week, one in the New York Review of Books and one in the New Yorker.

 

If the link above "Sabbath" does not work:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/opinion/sunday/oliver-sacks-sabbath.html

This is an article that Oliver Sacks recently wrote.

Edited August 30, 2015 by B/W Photodude

[B/W Photodude]

For those unfamiliar with Dr Sacks, he wrote the book "The Awakening" which was made into a movie starring Robin Williams and Robert Deniro.

 

<I wish we had more editing time on posts!>

[Jeannieb43]

This NYTimes article, "The Sabbath" is a masterpiece.   Dr. Sacks was a talented writer.   And to learn about the Jewish method of Sabbath-keeping brings a sense of belonging to my observance of Sabbath as an Adventist.   A beautiful piece.