Tulsa City-County Library and Clarehouse, a nonprofit community for the dying, are partnering to offer a series of free public programs to discuss end-of-life issues.
“Dying: Can We Talk?” is three interactive programs addressing the widespread need for education in goals-of-care planning and navigating the health-care system. Library materials on the subject will be displayed for library customers to check-out.
“Human beings don’t do death very well. Intellectually we know our lives are finite, yet we put off facing reality until it smacks us in the face,” said Cindy Hulsey, Tulsa City-County Library adult services coordinator. “We are often unprepared when the time comes to move our parents into assisted living or to navigate the horrors of dementia, or to figure out how to broach the taboo subjects of money, wills and last wishes.”
Each program is presented at Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St.
“Can We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” Oct. 27, 6:45 p.m. Award-winning cartoonist Roz Chast will speak about her graphic memoir of the same name, which depicts her difficult journey in providing care for her elderly parents. Her first-hand account captures moments of frustration, anger, depression, fear and exhaustion. She’s not afraid to share her feelings of resentment and self-doubt as she struggles to deal with her parents’ slow decline. Her cartoons have also been published in The New Yorker, Scientific American, the Harvard Business Review, Redbook and Mother Jones. She also partnered with Steve Martin on the best-selling children’s book “The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter, Z.” Books will be available for purchasing and a book signing will follow the event.
Dr. John Schumann, president of OU-Tulsa, will introduce Chast. Dr. Schumann holds the Gussman Chair in Internal Medicine at the OU School of Community Medicine. He also authors the blog “Glass Hospital,” writing weekly posts aimed at demystifying medicine and bringing transparency to health care and policy.
“Can’t We Talk About Something Less Complicated?” Nov. 3, 7 p.m. A panel of physicians will describe the current landscape of end-of-life care on a local and national level.
“Can’t We Talk About Something Less Personal?” Nov. 10, 7 p.m. This program will features a panel of individuals with varying experiences surrounding end of life. A resource fair will follow so that participants can take home information to help them navigate the intricacies of end-of-life issues.
For more information on Tulsa City-County Library programming and services, call the AskUs Hotline, 918-549-7323, or visit www.tulsalibrary.org.
# # #