Birds in the Morning, Frogs at Night – Author to Speak in Des Moines

Meet the Author: Maureen McCue

Noted global health leader shares hopes and concerns on issues ranging from autism and mental health, to epidemics and the environment.

Join a conversation with Maureen McCue who will discuss her book, Birds in the Morning, Frogs at Night, at Artisan Gallery 218 on Monday, May 23 at 6:30 PM.  Her book, “written as a memoir, and a little bit travel log,” was informed by over 30 years of life encountered along her rural Iowa road, as well as that encountered on roads around the world, before and during that timeline.  She used examples from her weather dependent, unimproved grade B road, and those she traveled around the world as the organizing mechanism for describing experiences of connections across time and space concerning climate, food, water, invasions, extinctions, and even mental health

McCue’s earliest years were spent as a free-range child exploring an old, poor, northside Milwaukee community — a few years before that intriguing “inner city” neighborhood was decimated, and renovated in the name of Urban Renewal, aka, “economic development”.  From that auspicious beginning Maureen studied and traveled throughout India in a unique college year abroad program.  She then attended medical school as one of a very small number of women students. 

Years later, while traveling back and forth to work and learn as a physician in beautiful but conflict riven Central America, serendipity allowed her to develop and complete an interdisciplinary PhD as an older non-traditional student in epidemiology and medical anthropology.  The combination of luck, being in the right place at the right time, and a drive to step beyond the bounds of expectations and fear have allowed her to travel, study, work, and learn in many parts of the world.

All her endeavors, personal and professional, have focused on the human right to health within a life supporting sustainable planet – including addressing concerns about the health impacts of militarism, energy/climate change, food policy, women’s & disability rights.  Despite the allure of all such experiences she has remained tethered to the captivating life forces at work across her Iowa homestead.

Artisan Gallery 218 is located at 218 Fifth Street in Valley Junction.  Beaverdale Books will have copies of the book available for sale and signing.