The Box: A Message from the Heart in 55 Words

This edition of Poet’s Pen reflects on “The Box,” a 55-word story by Dr. James Huntley, an Oxford- and Cambridge-educated orthopedic surgeon with a passion for narrative medicine. He uses this piece to describe the mysteries of the heart and expertly showcases the effectiveness of this format in connecting physicians to their patients through the traditions of medicine. Created in 1986, 55-word stories are now in their 40th year as a distinct category of writing. Their use has been increasingly associated with the medical humanities, particularly as a means of reflecting on the physician-patient relationship. The form has been integrated into several health education curricula and featured in numerous medical journals, including The Journal of the American Medical Association.