Marc Straus

*Trigger Warning: domestic abuse*
This episode with highly accomplished oncologist Marc Straus is jam-packed with astonishing stories that take you by surprise and inspire you to stay in the fight.

Key Takeaways From Episode:

  • Being published over 100 times
  • Poetry
  • Why Americans don’t like poetry as much as other places
  • Growing up with a father who wasn’t allowed to go to school
  • What immigrant families can do to set their kids up for success
  • Going against the grain with his new book
  • Childhood abuse
  • Being a streetfighter
  • Putting a stop to the abusive cycle
  • Being able to drift out and not feel pain
  • The Fisherman & The Sea and how he could relate
  • Staying true to his childhood voice
  • The unusual fact about his art collection
  • Turning a bad situation into a way to help others
  • Being married to his childhood sweetheart
  • Being in a nearly fatal hit and run
  • Growing up Jewish in the 70s
  • Racism around the world
  • How he came up with the name of his book One-Legged Mongoose

Quotations:

“When I had an idea, I just pushed ahead and did it.” ~Marc Straus

“Poetry is a unique way to use language.” ~Marc Straus

“You can’t do the best job without being fully committed.” ~Marc Straus

“I was meant to be a cancer doctor.” ~Marc Straus

“I was in the fight.” ~Marc Straus

“A lot of who I am today is because I fell in love with books.” ~Marc Straus

“I think books in some way saved me.” ~Marc Straus

“I don’t look back. It gets in your way of moving forward.” ~Marc Straus

“You have to be decisive.” ~Marc Straus

“We have a long history of not learning from history.” ~Marc Straus

Guest’s Bio:

MARC STRAUS is a poet, writer, medical oncologist, and art collector who lives with his wife, Livia, in Chappaqua, NY. The author of numerous scientific papers and articles on contemporary art, and has published four poetry collections including Not God, staged Off-Broadway. His poems and stories have appeared in Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, and many other literary journals. The Strauses founded Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, NY, and Marc runs the Marc Straus Gallery in New York City. One-Legged Mongoose is his first book of prose. For more information, please visit https://marcjstraus.com/.

Guest’s Contact Info:

Leave a Reply