Dr. Walt and Todd Fertig will discuss Dr. Walt's life as presented in his memoir "Like What You Do." They will also discuss the process of moving Dr. Walt's experiences in psychiatry onto paper.
Like What You Do: The Memoirs of Dr. Walt Menninger is a recollection of Dr. Walt Menninger's experiences with himself, his family and The Menninger Clinic, an institution that shaped American psychiatry. Dr. Walt and Todd Fertig, cowriters of Like What You Do, will discuss the writing process and contents of Dr. Walt's memoir. Q&A to follow their discussion.
About the Authors
Dr. Walter Menninger is a third-generation member of a family credited with changing the shape of modern psychiatry. In 1925 his grandfather, father and uncle established the Menninger Clinic in Topeka. Dr. Walt served as Dean of the Menninger School of Psychiatry, chief of staff of the Menninger Clinic, and president and CEO of Menninger, the position he held until his retirement in 2001.
An expert in forensic psychiatry, Dr. Walt was a consultant to the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Through the U.S. Public Health Service, he was the chief medical officer in a federal reformatory and served as a psychiatrist for the Medical Program Division of the Peace Corps in its formative days. After the assassination of Robert Kennedy, he was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to serve on the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, the first psychiatrist to be named to a national investigatory commission by a U.S. President.
With an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, Dr. Walt has received five additional honorary degrees.
Like What You Do was written with the assistance of Todd Fertig, Topeka-based freelance writer. He met Dr. Walt after moving into the house once owned by Dr. Walt’s parents from the 1920s to the 1970s. Dr. Walt visited to tell stories about the house and the subject of a memoir was broached.
A series of interviews produced the bulk of Like What You Do as told in Dr. Walt’s own words. Todd provided additional research from a host of materials, including resources from the Menninger Archives at the Kansas State Historical Society and from Dr. Walt’s personal files.
Todd has worked for numerous media outlets and state agencies. He has previously published three books: The Missionaries' Daughter, Humble Beginnings and Legacy: The Enduring Impact of the Negro Leagues on Modern Baseball and American Society.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Books/Authors/Writing |
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