DeepSummary
The transcript begins with Dr. Augie Lindmark describing how he started receiving anonymous obituaries in the mail during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic while working as a resident doctor. Initially unsettled by this intrusion of death into his personal space, Augie devises a plan to catch the sender, only to realize it is his father sending the obituaries as a way of processing his own mortality.
The story then shifts to Augie visiting his father in Minnesota, where he discovers his dad's collection of obituaries in the basement. Their conversation eventually leads to Augie's realization that, despite his efforts to be different, he is very much like his father in the way they both process and reflect on death.
In the latter part of the episode, Augie and the host, Emily Silverman, discuss Augie's upbringing as the son of two Lutheran pastors, and how that influenced his decision to become a physician. They also explore the theme of talking about difficult subjects indirectly, as Augie's father did through the obituaries, and the importance of embracing uncertainty in both medicine and spirituality.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The COVID-19 pandemic was a traumatic and helpless experience for many healthcare workers, including Dr. Augie Lindmark.
- Augie's father sent him anonymous obituaries as a way to process and make sense of his own mortality.
- Despite Augie's efforts to be different from his father, he realized they shared similarities in how they processed and reflected on death.
- Augie's upbringing as the son of two Lutheran pastors influenced his decision to become a physician and his approach to spirituality and uncertainty.
- Talking about difficult subjects indirectly, such as through metaphors or proxies, can sometimes make it easier to approach sensitive topics.
- Embracing uncertainty is an important aspect of both medicine and spirituality.
- The episode explores the complex relationship between fathers and sons, and how shared experiences can create unexpected connections despite outward differences.
- Storytelling and personal narratives can provide a powerful avenue for processing and making sense of profound experiences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “People are sick and struggling to breathe, and I give medicines that do not work to people who do not survive.“ by Auggie Lynn Mark
- “And I ride my bike home as fast as I can, because home is safe. The hospital is not.“ by Auggie Lynn Mark
- “I suppose we collect it to make sense of our own.“ by Auggie Lynn Mark's father
- “And I sit there with the computer screen being the only light in my apartment. And I think I am exactly like my father.“ by Auggie Lynn Mark
- “Sometimes it does take a pressure off of things, even thinking about advanced directives. With myself and my dad, I definitely felt there were times when I was employing clinical skills with my dad, with talking about death, where sometimes if you triangulate something, it's a little bit easier.“ by Auggie Lynn Mark
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Episode Information
The Nocturnists
The Nocturnists
3/28/24
When Dr. Augie Lindmark first started receiving obituaries in the mailbox, he wasn’t sure whether to be amused or afraid. But soon he discovers the identity of the sender, and enters into a rare an unexpected dialogue about aging and mortality.
Augie performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.
Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.
This episode of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is sponsored by The New York Zen Center.
This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.