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The Nocturnists

The Nocturnists is an award-winning, independent medical storytelling podcast, hosted by Emily Silverman, MD. We share stories that aim to humanize healthcare and foster meaningful public dialogue about the practice of medicine. Each episode brings the humanity of healthcare workers to the fore, from stories told at The Nocturnists live shows, to raw audio diary recordings in our special documentary series, to insightful conversations with authors and filmmakers whose work intersects with health and medicine. Welcome to our community.

Learn more at thenocturnists.com

Conversations: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Feb 23, 2023

In today’s episode, Emily speaks with author Dolen Perkins-Valdez about her recent novel Take My Hand, based on the 1973 case of the Relf sisters who were forcibly sterilized at a federally-funded health clinic in Montgomery, Alabama.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at

Conversations: Jake Broder, Lucy Davenport & Bruce Miller, MD

Feb 16, 2023

In this live panel at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Emily sits down with playwright Jake Broder, actor Lucy Davenport, and neurologist Bruce Miller to discuss Broder’s play UnRavelled, which explores the fascinating relationship between dementia, art, and music.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at

Conversations: Iain McGilchrist, MD

Feb 9, 2023

In this episode, Emily speaks with psychiatrist-philosopher Iain McGilchrist about his seminal book The Master and His Emissary, which explores the relationship between our brain’s right and left hemispheres and how they structure our understanding of the world.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at