Benjamin Gilmer Discusses His Novel The Other Dr. Gilmer
Schedule
Thu Mar 16 2023 at 07:00 pm
Location
4139 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209-2229, United States | Charlotte, NC
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Join author Benjamin Gilmer as he discusses his book, The Other Dr. Gilmer, during an in-person event on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 7 pm.We want to celebrate Benjamin Gilmer and his book, The Other Dr. Gilmer. He will discuss this book during an in-person event at 7 PM on Thursday, March 16, 2023. You can purchase the book below or in the store. We look forward to seeing you at this free event.
Synopsis:
THE OTHER DOCTOR GILMER: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice by Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is many things: a twisting, fast-paced story of a shocking murder and a medical mystery that you won’t want to put down; a heartfelt look into the nature of crime, punishment, and healing in the society with the highest incarceration rate in the world; but most importantly, it is a tremendously moving personal memoir that captivated me from the very first page.
When Dr. Benjamin Gilmer began working at Cane Creek, a rural clinic in North Carolina, he learned that the clinic’s previous doctor shared his name—but Dr. Vince Gilmer was now in prison for committing a shocking crime (the murder of his own father). Shocking because Vince Gilmer was beloved by his patients, and was deeply rooted in the community, often seen working the sidelines at the local football game. Years after Vince was sentenced to life in prison, many of Dr. Benjamin Gilmer’s patients would still tell him they couldn’t believe the other Dr. Gilmer was capable of such violence. The more Benjamin learned about his predecessor, the more he sensed something was wrong.
After visiting Vince in prison, Benjamin is sure he has met a man whose mind is unravelling—not the cold-blooded killer the prosecution made him out to be. Vince, who fired his lawyers and miserably defended himself at trial, pleaded to the judge that his mind was not working right. Alongside This American Life journalist Sarah Koenig, Benjamin resolved to understand why a good doctor became a killer. But time and again, the pair would come up against a prison system and government that cared more about profit than the mental health or rehabilitation of its inmates.
In THE OTHER DOCTOR GILMER, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer reveals how a caring man was overcome by a perfect neurologic storm. Rather than get treatment, Vince was sentenced to life in prison—a life made all the worse by his untrustworthy brain and by prison and government officials who dismissed his situation. Many imprisoned Americans are suffering from mental illness when they commit their crimes and continue to suffer, untreated, in prison. Through Vince, Benjamin argues that we can choose healing over punishment and profit. After all, he dedicates the book to not only Vince but “all those suffering from mental illness behind bars.”
Author Bio:
Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family medicine physician in Fletcher, North Carolina. A former Albert Schweitzer fellow, he is an associate professor in the department of family medicine at the UNC School of Medicine at Chapel Hill and at the Mountain Area Health Education Center. A former neurobiologist turned rural family practitioner, Dr. Gilmer has lectured across the country about medical ethics, bias in medicine, and criminal justice reform. He lives with his wife and two children in Asheville, North Carolina.
Can’t make the event? Want your own personalized copy?
Contact the store 48 hours before the event to request one.
704-525-9239 or [email protected]
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Where is it happening?
4139 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209-2229, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
