Behind every great man is a great woman with a story to tell. Dr. Joanne Denko, a noted psychiatrist and Geneva professor, is the author of The Life of Charles W. Denko PhD, MD, a forthcoming biography about her late husband, the prominent rheumatologist whose pioneering research focused on the causes and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
During his lifetime, Dr. Charles Denko published more than 100 scientific articles, presenting his findings at rheumatology conferences around the world. Stricken with Polio as an infant, doctors feared he would never become an independent adult. During World War II he contributed to the war effort as a chemist and helped safely relocate 30 Jewish orphans whose parents had been killed.
“I feared our family history would not be passed on to my grandchildren in any meaningful way unless I put it into writing,” explains Dr. Joanne Denko. “In collecting information for our grandchildren, I realized my husband’s story should stand alone because of his reputation and contribution to the field of rheumatology.”
The book itself is a collection of vignettes and meditations written by the late doctor’s wife as well as those who knew him best: his sons; his colleagues; and his friends. The Life of Charles W. Denko PhD, MD is scheduled for release in February.
“For many years my husband would always begin his lectures with ‘Fellow students;’ he considered everyone to be lifetime students of science and he certainly was,” recalls Dr. Denko. “I certainly have tried to do his life justice through this book and I believe that’s helped by the fact it’s not just me saying wonderful things about him, but other people as well.”
An accomplished psychiatrist and educator, Dr. Joanne Denko is also the author of a number of books written under her pen name Dr. Victoria Greenleaf, MD, discussing her personal experiences with troubled youth, specifically her sons. Her second book, Fighting the Good Fight: One Family's Struggle Against Adolescent Alcoholism explores what is widely considered among the most brutal forms of abuse to treat. The book has been used in treatment centers.
“I saw it not as a story about my son, but rather what my son was doing to me,” says Denko. “It was almost a case study with ideas I hoped would be of help to other parents. I feel there are things I know that can be of help to others: sometimes those others are my family; sometimes those others are parents I’ll never meet.”
Close-Up Talk Radio will feature Dr. Joanne Denko in a two-part interview with Jim Masters on November 8th and November 15th at 7pm EST.
Listen to the show at www.blogtalkradio.com/closeuptalkradio. If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389.
