Longtime Greenpoint resident, Julia Hotz, known as Jules, has written a book called The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging.
The Connection Cure is Hotz’s first book. The author describes herself as “a solutions-focused journalist,” and her work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Scientific American, The Boston Globe, and Time.
The Connection Cure focuses on the science and system behind social prescribing, which is a practice through which doctors and therapists prescribe activities for patients instead of (or in addition) to medication. This practice is a different way of thinking about the definition of healing and medicine.
Medical professionals who are using social prescribing advise patients to join activities in their local communities to help treat their health conditions. These social activities can include anything from art or photography classes to gardening groups to cycling clubs.
Hotz explained that there may be a future when doctors and therapists prescribe local activities at local spots the same way they prescribe pills. This would mean that these Greenpoint organizations could receive new forms of funding and institutional support.
“This means that the local activities that make Greenpoint the thriving local hub that it is—from McGolrick Bird Club to North Brooklyn Mutual Aid network to Reboot to Charlas Spanish-learning club—could soon receive funding from healthcare as a way to sustain their health-creating and community-building work,” Hotz told Greenpointers.
“When I think of the quintessential social prescribing utopia, I think of Greenpoint,” she continued. “Living here has shown me that there are so many local organizations trying to help their neighbors connect to each other, and to local causes, whether it’s birdwatching, dancing, learning Spanish, joining a running group, or participating in mutual aid. These organizations do so much to contribute to our health, and yet, they’ve been ignored by healthcare.”
On Monday, June 10, the day before her book is published, Hotz will be at Greenpoint’s Word Bookstore (126 Franklin St.) at 7 p.m. to promote and discuss her work during her summer book tour.