Author Luke Dittrich Speaks in Suffield

From the Kent Memorial Library:

SUFFIELD, CT - In the field of neurosurgery, Connecticut resident, Henry Molaison, was one of the most important human research subjects of all time. However, until his death in 2008, hardly anyone knew his name. It was a secret. Author, Luke Dittrich, will talk about Henry, whose short term memory loss came about probably because of surgery done by Mr. Dittrich’s own grandfather, a neurosurgeon at Hartford Hospital. The surgery was to relieve Henry of his epileptic seizures. The study of Henry Molaison revolutionized the understanding of how memory works and became the cornerstone of modern memory science. However, the thrust of Dittrich’s book are the serious questions of morality and ethics Henry’s brain raises: the surgery; research; the custody battle for Henry’s brain; and finally, the willful destruction of some components of the research.

Luke Dittrich’s presentation will be at the Suffield High School, 1060 Sheldon Street, in West Suffield, at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 29. Please register for the free program at the library at 860-668-3896 or on the Kent Memorial Library’s website at suffield-library.org. Following Mr. Dittrich’s talk there will be a reception where his books will be available for purchase and signing. The Friends of the Kent Memorial Library are sponsoring the program.

Mr. Dittrich’s book, Patient H.M., A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets was just published on August 9, 2016. It was the cover story of the New York Times Magazine on August 7, 2016. Luke Dittrich is a National Magazine Award–winning journalist, and a contributing editor at Esquire. This is his first book.

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