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From: <[email protected]> Subject: Oliver Sacks celebrates his 80th birthday Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:20:03 +0000 Inline-Images: image001.png; image002jpg; image003.gif; image004.gif; image005.gif; image006.gif; image007.gif If you're having trouble viewing this message. click to view in your default browser WEB of STORIES PRESS RELEASE Web of Stones Middlesex House 34-42 Cleveland Street London WIT 4LB 7+44(0)20 7323 0323 preseoebolstones cam www.weholstones cam Aweborstones www facebook.comMetofstories OLIVER SACKS London. UK I 8 July 2013 For immediate release As world-renowned British neurologist Oliver Sacks celebrates his 80th birthday on 9 July, he remains one of the most prolific names in his field. Web of Stories is proud to present a range of insightful recordings as Sacks recounts memories of his life and work. The British doctor, referred to as ?the poet laureate of medicine? by The New York Times, is best known for his collections of neurological case histories. Awakenings (1973), his book about a group of patients who had survived the great encephalitis lethargica epidemic of the early 20th century, inspired a 1990 Academy Award-nominated film. Sacks went on to author many more books including the best-selling The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (1985) and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (2007). You can discover more about the man behind such groundbreaking work by watching over 300 recordings of him sharing memories, which include having had WH Auden as a mentor: 'fie wrote a lovely review of Migraine and I felt, in a way, that this was the first time that a... someone of grand powers had taken notice of me' He also opens up about his nearly fatal experience with drugs: 'When I came to New York I was dangerously drug. addicted. Perhaps addiction isn't... isn't the tight word, but I would take huge doses of amphetamine every weekend, and these were potentially fatal doses. I sort of specialised in overdoses... I had a sudden sober moment on New Year's Eve in '65; I looked at myself in the mirror and I said, "Oliver, you will not see another New Year's Day unless you get help. There has to be some intervention": No recordings of Sacks would be complete without his memories of the pivotal work which led him to write Awakenings: 'These were people who had been almost inanimate for 30 or 40 years, who had burst into explosive life.' All of these recordings, and countless others, can be watched with fully searchable transcripts. All Web of NOTES FOR EDITORS ABOUT WEB OF STORIES Everyone has a story to tell. Over time many stories become forgotten. but now Web of Stones offers members of the public the chance to tell their stories for future generations to enjoy. The project is built on the belief that we all have wonderful stones to share. and have family and friends whose tales we would kke to hear. Web of Stones began as an archive of life stones told by some of the great scientists. writers and artists cf our bme. As the number c4 stones grew, 4 became obvious that some were on related topics and that a web was slowly being created of connected stories. We welcome anyone to come and talk about virtually anything they like. Just like our famous speakers. we hope you will record your stories for others to enjoy. CONTACT For more information on Web of Stories or any other video interview wrth Web of Stories please contact the Press Desk on +44(0)20 7323 0323 or res S? :H: tones.corn Should you wish to refer to Web c4 Stones and our video interviews please ensure that a link to Web of Stones is clearly viewable on your site. EFTA01143478 Despite his unquestionable success, he Stories videos are easy to share with admits to struggling at university. He also friends and colleagues, and may be talks of his 'disastrous' year in embedded into personal blogs and neuropathology and neurochemistry:'! websites. screwed the oil immersion objective of the microscope through several priceless slides. I lost a sample which I'd spent 10 To find out more click here ) months preparing, a sample of myelin from nerve sheaths, and, finally, l got some food in the ultracentrifuge... basically they threw me out. They said, 'Sacks, you are a menace. Why don?t you go and see patients - you'll do less harm."And this was sort of the ignoble beginning of a clinical career.' O2013 Web of Stories I vcrov.weborstones corn You C O Ea EFTA01143479