Public relations, like every job in the world, has its plusses (creative, people-oriented) and minuses (media list maintenance, anyone??), but on the whole it’s a pretty terrific career, if you ask me. The best thing about the gig though, in my opinion, is the opportunity it affords us to further the efforts of people making truly notable contributions and achieving amazing things through their work and in their lives.
I was reminded of this the other day when I got a call from an old business associate at Kaplan Publishing, (a division of Kaplan, my former employer). Our exchange went something like this:
“We’d like you to take on a project.”
Me: “Great! Do tell.”
“Well, it’s a new book we’re publishing by Sherwin Nul…”
Me: “Dr. Sherwin Nuland?!”
“Yes!”
Me: “Hooray! Tell me everything!”
I’ve always been a big reader and I became a fan of Dr. Nuland’s, a surgeon at Yale turned writer, when I was in college. I returned home from school after my freshman year and discovered his groundbreaking book, “How We Die.” (I didn’t have to look very hard to “discover” it since it won the National Book Award and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 34 weeks.) My dad, a surgeon like Dr. Nuland, and a voracious reader like me, read it that summer as well. I remember thinking the author was a master storyteller and being surprised that I could care so much about science writing – (though it goes well beyond science writing, of course). Plus, I was grateful that the book helped spark some meaningful conversations between me and my father, a man of few words.
Fast forward fifteen years and I’m on a conference call with Dr. Nuland (who has now published 13 books) talking about who we should invite to a media luncheon in celebration of his upcoming book, “The Soul of Medicine,” which is a Canterbury Tales-esque non fiction narrative about humanity, ethics, and the relationship between doctors and patients. He reminds us not to forget his old friend, Charlie Rose. Meanwhile, all I can think is: how GREAT is this job???!!! I don’t get star struck often, but consider me struck.