I am a writer and novelist with strong interests in social justice, narrative medicine, and the history of psychiatry. I earned a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, have Master's degrees in both French and German, and have traveled the globe. I have taught college classes in French, German, English, literature, composition, and creative writing. I have also been a guest contributor to the "On Being" blog of American Public Radio and a Pushcart Prize nominee.
I hold an appointment as assistant professor in pediatrics in the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, where I direct AfterWards, a program in narrative medicine. I am on the editorial board of Bridle Path Press, a small, boutique, literary cooperative, which has published novels, short story collections, and poetry collections. I have presented my work at numerous national and regional conferences and have co-authored a handbook on writing.
I have published articles, essays, short stories, profiles, and three novels, Choke Creek, Wolf Constellation, and new in 2022 from BrickHouse Books, my most recent novel, The Hanging of Ruben Ashford. I live in Baltimore, where my dog, Pandora, makes sure that I don't spend too much time working and that I get out to ramble in the beautiful Maryland woods. This website will provide you with a snapshot of my work, past, current, and forthcoming. Welcome.
In a hospital environment that is often hierarchical and siloed, attending a narrative medicine group reduces isolation among health care providers, makes them feel equally valued, and provides a platform to hear diverse perspectives. By moderating the stress that arises from the emotional labor of hospital work, narrative medicine may also enhance self-care. Journal of Radiology Nursing 36 (2017) 224-227
Lauren Small, PhD delivers lectures on narrative medicine at Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and at Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai, June 2019.
Read Lauren Small's contributions to American Public Radio's "On Being" blog.
At the heart of Lauren Small's soaring new novel is a murder mystery set in Baltimore in 1918, and the love of two remarkable women. Psychologist Josie Berenson defends a young Black man who has confessed to murder while her partner, Dr. Nell Winters confronts an influenza epidemic that rapidly kills thousands. Their search for justice and healing is complicated by a city riven by race, at a time when loving a member of your own sex is a crime. The path forward, they discover, is fraught with difficulty, but still offers reasons for hope. Delivered by a master story-teller, The Hanging of Ruben Ashford reveals fault lines in a great American city that still reverberate today.
Can caregivers write about their patients? Should they? Are there guidelines? "The Right to Write about Patients": Hopkins Medicine.
Nearly a century ago, rival approaches to psychiatry fractured the profession. The Grand Argument is far from over. An article by Lavinia Edmunds and Lauren Small in Johns Hopkins Magazine.
Narrative medicine provides a diverse group of caregivers with new ways to connect with their patients and each other at Johns Hopkins Hospital. From Kafka to Kendrick Lamar, an article by Dr. Benjamin Oldfield and Dr. Lauren Small in Hopkins Medicine.
AfterWards is a program in narrative medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD run by Dr. Lauren Small. The program meets monthly and is open on a drop-in basis to all caregivers. Dr. Small also proivdes narrative medicine programming to fellows, residents, and other dedicated groups.