Focus on Quality, Not Quantity, of Life to Be Discussed in WT’s Great Books Series in July

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A book that calls for a paradigm shift in thinking about end-of-life care will be in the spotlight for the next installment of West Texas A&M University’s Great Books Series.

Dr. Deborah Davenport, a former WT professor of nursing, will lead the discussion of Dr. Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End” at 7 p.m. July 12 via Zoom.

The discussion series — sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages — is open to those who either have or haven’t read the book, said Dr. Daniel Bloom, Great Books organizer and associate professor of philosophy.

Davenport, who retired in 2019 after 35 years at WT, said Gawande’s book provides an “eye-opening analysis for laypeople on what to expect as aging—and, ultimately, dying—are inevitable.”

“Today’s society seems to put way too much emphasis on the ability of modern medicine to heal all infirmities,” Davenport said. “While there are marvelous advances in treating previously untreatable conditions, the truth is we are all still mortal. Dr. Gawande, a surgeon himself, eloquently chastises his own profession for doing all in its power to extend life with little regard to the quality of life. He believes a paradigm shift is needed to instead finding what truly matters at the end of life and the goal to live a good life until the end of it.”

WT professors and guest lecturers lead the monthly discussions.

The series began in 2011 and is traditionally held in person on the second Tuesday of the month at Burrowing Owl Books, 7406 S.W. 34th Ave., Suite 2B, in Amarillo. It shifted to Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic; a return to in-person meetings is expected to occur in September.

To register for the July discussion, email Dr. Patricia Tyrer at ptyrer@wtamu.edu.

The series is one way in which WT serves the region by offering engagement with a variety of literary and philosophical texts. Being a learner-centered university is a key principle of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—