RESOURCES FOR WRITERS
Craft Series
Story of a Book
What To Do With That MFA
RESOURCES FOR MIGRAINEURS
Below are a couple resources for you to check out if you are interested. Feel free to write to me at rachelweaverbook@gmail.com with any questions or to share your migraine journey with me. It can be such a long, lonely road.
Listen to this interview with Dr. Bills and me on the Vestibular Disorders Association's ICU Podcast
New Migraine Research Published in Frontiers in Neurology Jan 2026
We all know that what works for one migraineur doesn't always work for another. But one thing that kept me moving forward throughout all the years living with migraine was knowing there was something else out there to possibly try if/when I was ready. My hope is that this new study linking glucose dysregulation to chronic migraine might be just that for some of you.
Migraine and Neuro Rehab Center
Below is a link to Dr. Kyle Bills' clinic where I participated in the glucose study. Again, to be clear, every migraine is a specific beast. What works for one person may not work for another. This is what worked for me, and the vast majority of the other 246 people in the study. I offer it here as an option for anyone interested in looking into it further.
Body of Words
Body of Words is a community writing program that supports and celebrates the creativity, resilience, and perspectives of writers and artists living with chronic illness and disability.
Our virtual monthly gatherings bring together writers living with chronic illness and disability to create art and connect with one another. Each session offers time to write from prompts, exchange encouragement, and talk honestly about sustaining creativity alongside the realities of illness and disability. We also spotlight the voices of disabled and chronically ill authors and performers, reading and reflecting on their work as part of our conversations.
We meet the first Friday of every month on Zoom from 10am-noon Mountain Time. Join us!
RESOURCES FOR HEALTH HUMANITIES INSTRUCTORS
Easily Incorporate DIZZY Into Your Curriculum
DIZZY is the first title in the Connective Tissue Series at West Virginia University Press, which examines the human condition at the intersection of health, illness, and care through humanities methods and expressive arts. The series is intended to be a resource for health humanities and narrative medicine faculty across the country. The series advisory committee includes physicians Joel T. Katz, M.D., M.A.C.P. (Dana-Farber; founding director, Visual Arts in Healthcare, Brigham & Women’s) and Michael P. H. Stanley, M.D. (Director, Neurocognitive Division, Tufts Medical Center).
Arthur W. Frank, Ph.D., author of At the Will of the Body and The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics had the following to say about DIZZY:
"Ill people will find a lifeline of companionship in DIZZY; healthcare students can read DIZZY asking themselves what they would have done differently—how they might have found ways to offer the care that is so clearly lacking. In my opinion, Dizzy is a substantial contribution to the genre of illness narratives."
Order the Book
Through visits with more than 40 practitioners, DIZZY explores the physical, emotional and financial toll of being a long-term patient. At it's core, the memoir demonstrates the healing power of clear clinical communication and explores why it is so hard for the clinician and patient to collectively achieve.
Free Curriculum Packet
To simplify course use, Renée K. Nicholson (MFA, Columbia Narrative Medicine) and Rachel Weaver (CPA, Columbia Narrative Medicine) developed a Health Humanities curriculum packet with discussion questions and writing prompts. Watch the video below to learn more.
Schedule a Classroom Visit
I welcome the opportunity to visit your class virtually to discuss themes such as the emotional and psychological impact of chronic illness, challenges of clinical communication, inequities in access to care, or any other topics that align with your goals and your students’ interests.