Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Mark Littmann

Committee Members

Paul Ashdown, Michael Keene, Bonnie Hufford

Abstract

This thesis is an attempt to answer the following three questions: (a) Is there such a genre as literary journalism in medical nonfiction? (b) If so, how can it be identified? (c) And, if this genre exists, what are some examples of it? Most of the literature on literary journalism was searched for mention of writers or works related to science and/or medicine. Very few examples appeared, so forty-eight books of medical nonfiction were then analyzed in search of the literary techniques most prevalent in this genre: status details, saturation reporting, structure, author's voice/point of view, accuracy, personal mission, and the narrative element. Nine works, which used most or all of these techniques, were identified, showing that, although not mentioned in the literature, literary journalists are applying their techniques to medical nonfiction. Examining literary journalism in medical nonfiction has broader implications than just analyzing a little-known literary genre: in these days of appalling scientific ignorance on behalf of the public, any method of teaching science and medicine in an approachable and entertaining way is valuable.

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