Richard Selzer
Encyclopedia
Richard Selzer was a surgeon
and author
. He was born (1928) and raised in Troy, New York
, United States
. His father was Julius Selzer, M.D. a general practitioner who practiced from the ground floor of the family home at Fifth Avenue in Troy. His mother, Gertrude Selzer, was an amateur singer who performed in local productions of musicals and opera. Richard Selzer graduated from Union College
in 1948, with a B.S. and received his M.D. from Albany Medical College
in 1953. He served in the Army for two years as a lieutenant in charge of a medical detachment. In 1960, following a surgical internship and residency at Yale University
, he joined the faculty of Yale as a professor of surgery, where he remained until his retirement in 1985. Beginning in the 1970s, Dr. Selzer became well known as an author as well.
Dr. Richard Selzer included his short story "Poe's Light-house," inspired by Edgar Allan Poe
's "The Light-House
", in The Doctor Stories, published by Picador
.
of Hard Candy
and Juno
fame will star as Annie and Kevin Zegers
has been attached for the leading role. The adaption was in the pre-production phase with filming scheduled for January 2009. During this time the film was retitled Light-house. As of January 2010, production has been stagnant.
, awarded the inaugural Selzer Prize for Writing. The award was created to honor Dr. Selzer for his contribution to the medical humanities and medical profession as a whole. The award will be given annually to a medical student whose essay or story stands out for its quality and humanistic focus. The award winner by year:
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He was born (1928) and raised in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His father was Julius Selzer, M.D. a general practitioner who practiced from the ground floor of the family home at Fifth Avenue in Troy. His mother, Gertrude Selzer, was an amateur singer who performed in local productions of musicals and opera. Richard Selzer graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in 1948, with a B.S. and received his M.D. from Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College is a medical school located in Albany, New York, United States. It was founded in 1839 by Amos Dean, Dr. Thomas Hun and others, and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation...
in 1953. He served in the Army for two years as a lieutenant in charge of a medical detachment. In 1960, following a surgical internship and residency at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, he joined the faculty of Yale as a professor of surgery, where he remained until his retirement in 1985. Beginning in the 1970s, Dr. Selzer became well known as an author as well.
Published works
Among his published books are:- Rituals of Surgery (1973)
- Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery (1976)
- Confessions of a Knife (1979)
- Letters to a Young Doctor (1982)
- Taking the World in for Repairs (1986)
- Imagine a Woman (1990)
- A Mile and a Half of Ink (1990)
- Down from Troy: A Doctor Comes of Age (1992; autobiography)
- Raising the Dead: A Doctor’s Encounter with His Own Mortality (1993)
- The Doctor Stories (1998)
- The Exact Location of the Soul: New and Selected Essays (2001)
- The Whistler's Room: Stories and Essays (2004)
- Knife Song Korea: A novel (2009)
- Letters to a Best Friend (2009; with Peter Josyph)
Dr. Richard Selzer included his short story "Poe's Light-house," inspired by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's "The Light-House
The Light-House
"The Light-House" is the unofficial title of the last work written by Edgar Allan Poe. He did not live to finish it, and had barely begun it by the time of his death in 1849.-Plot summary:...
", in The Doctor Stories, published by Picador
Picador
A picador is one of the pair of horsemen in a Spanish bullfight that jab the bull with a lance. They perform in the tercio de varas which is the first of the three stages in a Spanish bullfight.The picador has three main functions:...
.
Film adaptation
Irreverent Media Ltd. has optioned and developed Selzer's short story as the feature film The Light-house. The short story is currently in the process of being adapted for the screen by late 2008. It is rumored that Ellen PageEllen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
of Hard Candy
Hard Candy (film)
Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological thriller film focusing on the confrontation between an assumed sexual predator and a not-so-innocent 14-year-old girl....
and Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
fame will star as Annie and Kevin Zegers
Kevin Zegers
Kevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
has been attached for the leading role. The adaption was in the pre-production phase with filming scheduled for January 2009. During this time the film was retitled Light-house. As of January 2010, production has been stagnant.
Literary Award: The Selzer Prize for Writing
In 2010, The Abaton, a medical humanities literary and arts journal produced by Des Moines UniversityDes Moines University
Des Moines University is a United States' osteopathic medical college and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines University is the second oldest Osteopathic medical school and the fifteenth largest medical school in the United States. There are 14,124 total alumni .-History:Des Moines...
, awarded the inaugural Selzer Prize for Writing. The award was created to honor Dr. Selzer for his contribution to the medical humanities and medical profession as a whole. The award will be given annually to a medical student whose essay or story stands out for its quality and humanistic focus. The award winner by year:
- 2010 - Impostor or Not by Rachel Hammer, MS-II, Mayo College of Medicine