Remembering Marli Weiner
by Lizz Sinclair ::: bio

Marli Frances Weiner, professor of history at the University of Maine, Orono, and facilitator for the Literature & Medicine program, died on March 2, 2009, in Bangor, of cancer. Not only was Marli co-facilitator for the very first Literature & Medicine program (held at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine), she facilitated for three different hospitals over her 12 years working with the program. Marli also served as a faculty member for the first Literature & Medicine Training Institute, and was a strong supporter of the program.

Every fall I looked forward to receiving a call from Marli to discuss the books she was considering for the Literature & Medicine group (or, groups) she was working with. I quickly realized that Marli must have read 50 or more books over the summer to find the 5-6 readings that she thought would be the most thought provoking and would address issues her groups had expressed interest in. Our early conversations were filled with readings in medical history and non-fiction. She made note of fiction or poetry I suggested, always asked what the other groups were reading, and would talk with me several more times during the fall as she finalized the readings. Over time, the conversations changed. While she still asked for readings that the other facilitators or I might recommend, I was the one who was furiously taking notes about authors or books I should read, and I was the one asking for suggestions from her that I could share with other facilitators. I admired Marli for moving beyond her initial comfort zone to include challenging pieces of fiction- both classics and contemporary. I would sit enraptured on the phone as she talked about the readings she was considering—most new to me—and the rich possibilities for connections the groups could make.

When Marli selected the book, Geek Love, for a syllabus one year, I was... surprised. A book about a circus family who take a wild variety of drugs to create unique, mutant offspring for their act, it is not for the faint of heart. I wondered if it might be a little too edgy for the group. She, of course, had thought long and hard about this, and decided to try it because of the possibilities it opened for discussion of normalcy, conformity and even surgery. And she was right- the group had a memorable discussion. In subsequent years, Marli continued to branch out, incorporating images of the body through the ages along with more fascinating works of literature and non-fiction into her syllabi.

The L&M group she worked with at Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth, Maine relished the challenging readings she found as much as they cherished her friendship. Every year, they would create a sculpture or other artistic collaboration to sum up their year, including objects or images representing each book they read, and what they had learned. Marli was always touched and delighted with these creations and had fun figuring out the connection between the readings and the objects they assembled.

When a few of the group visited her shortly before she died, she told them to keep the group going. That is just what they will do, but not because she requested it. Instead, it will be due to all she gave them, all of the vistas she helped them open, and all of the discussions yet to happen. Sherrie Downing, the liaison for the group, wrote this about Marli:

Marli had both a sharp intellect and a very warm heart. Over the years I think we taught each other a lot. This incredible woman has left an indelible mark on our facility, and through her work has touched many lives in Hancock and Washington counties—this through assisting care providers at many agencies to be more empathetic and collaborative. On one of my last visits with Marli, she lay immobile, her body swollen and largely unresponsive to her commands. Her mind was fully engaged, however, and she spoke spiritedly about Literature & Medicine. She insisted we continue our work. I’m sure she will be present as we do just that.

READ Marli’s review of Geek Love.

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