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Hearing Voices Opening Reception & UNDER THAT CALAMITY Book Launch

  • The Library Company of Philadelphia 1314 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA, 19107 United States (map)

Come celebrate the reprint of one of the works featured in the exhibit, John Perceval’s Narrative of the Treatment Experienced by a Gentleman, During a State of Mental Derangement (London, 1839), published by Lanternfish Press under the title Under That Calamity. Lindsey Grubbs, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences at California State University and former LCP Fellow, will reflect on writing the introductory text for the reprint. Exhibit curators Rachel D’Agostino and Sophia Dahab will also share a short presentation on the process of curating such sensitive materials for a modern audience. The evening will include a reception and lively conversation as we look closely at government documents, institutional reports, and first-hand accounts that tell the stories of the 19th century asylum and its residents.

Lindsey Grubbs is Assistant Professor of Public Health at California State University, East Bay, where she teaches courses in humanities, ethics, and cultural contexts of health.  She holds a PhD in English from Emory  University, where she was a Woodruff Fellow and Dean’s Teaching Fellow. After her PhD, she served as a Hecht-Levi Fellow in the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University, where she was also affiliated with the Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine.


For the safety of all guests and staff, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masking are required of all guests. Upon entering the building, please provide proof of vaccination. Proof will be accepted in the form of your original vaccination card, a photo of it on your phone, or a photocopy of the original. All guests are required to remain properly masked throughout their time at the Library Company.

We are located on Locust Street, between Broad Street and 13th Street in Center City Philadelphia, a few blocks from City Hall and one block east of the Academy of Music. There are several parking lots nearby. The Library Company is wheel chair accessible. For virtual events, we provide closed captioning.


Hearing Voices: Memoirs from the Margins of Mental Health is on display from May 2nd, 2022 to December 22nd, 2022.