American literature professor and author Cindy Weinstein and behavioral neurologist Bruce Miller join the podcast to discuss their latest book, "Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain", a dual-memoir that alternates between Weinstein’s memories of her father who experienced early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and Miller’s scientific responses. They discuss their writing process, developments in Alzheimer's disease research, and their experiences as care partners and care providers to those experiencing dementia.

Guests: Cindy Weinstein, PhD, Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of English, California Institute of Technology and Bruce Miller, MD, director, University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center

Episode Topics

5:36 What brought the two of you together to write Finding the Right Words?

7:40 Cindy, how long have you thought about writing this book about your father, and how long did it take you to write this book?

14:36 What did you want the reader to take away from this construction and this layout of your novel?

18:52 How does early onset Alzheimer's disease progress differently than the more common late-onset Alzheimer's disease?

28:05 Bruce, you write a response in the book from a neurological scientific perspective on love later in the disease. Can you summarize your perspective on that?

Show Notes

Learn more about Mind Readers, the book club by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and their special events by signing up for their e-newsletter. Register for the virtual discussion with authors Professor Cindy Weinstein and Dr. Bruce Miller on July 13 at 6pm CST.

Read more about Professor Weinstein and Dr. Miller’s book, Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain.

Learn more about Professor Cindy Weinstein, Dr. Bruce Miller, and their journey to writing Finding the Right Words at their website.

Nathan McGovern, "Seeing Through Religion: An Introduction to the Study of Religion and Religions" (Routledge, 2025)

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