Parkinson's & Poetry NW Parkinson's

Food, family, stuffed animals still keeping us company: in this episode, Mari recites the poems written with her fellow Women Affected by Parkinson's of Spokane, WA. She speaks to the everyday bravery of the group, the ways they support each other through their journeys with Parkinson's. Not to mention the laughter! Hear from Mari about her own experience through diagnosis and community, including her advice for those newly diagnosed, and her commitment to continuing her cultural, particularly food, heritage.

Janice Holland-Hill shared her poem, "The Road", with the NW Parkinson's community: now her daughter, Kate, walks us through it. We learn how dynamic a person Jan is, from writing to sheet music, to energizing Kate with tasks of creativity. Jan's young-onset diagnosis of Parkinson's shapes their family's lives; in this episode, we step into the pain as well as the beauty of those changes. For Bette Jane's part, she looks forward to one day finding a book of poems by Janice Holland-Hill.

When weighed down, what lifts us? Poetry can sometimes be that antigravity, that "outward expression of an inner being", as Gary Vallat puts it. In 2019, Gary published a book of poems called "There is a Lightness in the Telling"; this conversation reveals why, and illuminates something at once familiar, light-hearted, and sacred about 'telling'. Tune in to hear original poetry by Gary, and for his wife and carepartner Rubye Vallat's profoundly helpful thoughts on life amid COVID-19. There's even more: Gary's daughter and filmmaker, Aimie Vallat, created "Present Moment", a short film that documents Gary and his family's day-to-day dance with Parkinson's. You can view the film here! You can also purchase a copy of Gary's book of poems here!

Who is scientific research meant for? Bette Jane Camp wanted to know the rhyme and reason behind hard-to-find and inaccessible research on Parkinson's. So, she invited her Master's-seeking brother, Jamie Camp, to discuss the nature of scientific journals, peer-reviewed articles, and the academic community's latest on Parkinson's. In our longest episode yet, they find the poetry in one of Jamie's favorite songs and in the extra effort that all kinds of writing ask of us.  

Jordan Whitley is our Community Engagement Manager with arguably the best laugh around the NW. A graduate of the University of Washington's Master of Social Work program, she works passionately with people impacted by Parkinson's in the NW to bring the classes, conferences, and local resources to those who need them. In this episode, Jordan reads "The Apple Orchard" by Marjorie Laughlin with lichened elegance. Jordan and Bette Jane chat about what it means to be a poet [AKA attentive] as well as why we show up each day with the NW Parkinson's community. 

T. Christopher Crandall is a baritone, and a dedicated, soon-to-be Master of Social Work through the University of Washington. In 2018, T. serendipitously became involved with the NW Parkinson's community through his practicum work at Evergreen Hospital's Booth Gardner Parkinson's Care Center in Kirkland, WA. Since then, T. has been instrumental in providing social support to people impacted by Parkinson's in the Northwest. He also reads poetry with total brilliance. Listen to his take on "Icicle Creek (Still Life)" by community member and poet Marjorie Laughlin. NOTE: T. and Bette Jane recorded this episode in early March, before COVID-19 isolation measures were taken. There are some background noises from our colleagues.