Cowboys & Bleeding Hearts: Essays on Violence, Health and Identity
Ron Charach
May 2009
188 pages | ISBN 978-1-894987-35-6
A passionate and thoughtful call to action on deeply troubling issues in Western society. For the past two decades, poet, essayist and psychiatrist Ron Charach has published letters and opinion pieces in all three major Canadian English-language newspapers. In this, his first collection of non-fiction, Charach boldly takes on the issues that keep him up at night, as a person and as a doctor. From a dark tallying up of the human toll of gun violence, to a highly nuanced consideration of Jewish identity, along with a sprinkling of more humorous treatments of serious issues, this is an arresting and thought-provoking collection.
Reviews
Long-time poet Ron Charach treads into new territory (Joseph Leven, Jewish Post & News, 8/11/2010).
“There are many interesting and thought-provoking pieces in the book making it a worthwhile read.”
Essays take aim at repairing the world (Paul Finnegan MD, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 4/19/2010).
“He implicitly encourages us to read, to think, to feel, to seek understanding – and perhaps to speak out ourselves.”
Provacative take on handling problems of violence, addiction (Douglas J. Johnston, Winnipeg Free Press, 7/19/2009).
“Cowboys & Bleeding Hearts is a lucid and provocative take on how to engage problems of violence and addiction.”
Review (Michael Greenstein, Prairie Fire Magazine, 7/3/2009).
“The poet's wit is displayed in some of his titles: ‘When a Good Man Turns Gunman,’ ‘Arms and the Man,’ ‘Pop, Pop, Pop: The Sound of Violence,’ and ‘The Trouble with Tasers.’ Poetic wit, combined with the psychiatrist's wisdom, constantly engages the reader on subjects vital to personal and societal health.”
Excerpt
Cowboys & Bleeding Hearts
Click to read the introduction to Cowboys & Bleeding Hearts: Essays on Violence, Health and Identity
About the Author
Ron Charach is a practising psychiatrist and poet. He is the author of seven previous books and his writing has appeared in newspapers and literary magazines across Canada and the United States. He was awarded the Canadian Jewish Award for Poetry in 2003.
