The Pain Scale

In her brief, compelling narrative piece, “The Pain Scale,” writer Eula Biss contemplates the inexpressible nature of pain and the ironic necessity for us to describe our pain in order to find relief. In this group discussion, we will use Biss’s piece as a starting point for reflecting on the intensely personal experience of pain and the complexities of translating suffering in ways that are diagnosable and treatable. Biss, herself, will participate in the discussion, which will be facilitated by National Humanities Center staff and graduate students.

Register to attend this virtual discussion at the conference website.

This conversation is part of the A Crisis of Caring: The Humanities and Our Health, a virtual interdisciplinary conference hosted by the National Humanities Center.