-
If you are a twin, a parent of twins, or close to a twin, you will enjoy the interview with Dr. Barbara Klein, a twin herself and expert in childhood development. Dr. Klein will discuss the strong influences of parenting styles and early childhood experiences on the way in which co-twins relate to each other. These methods of twinning are covered in her book ‘Not All Twins Are Alike.’ She will also answer questions such as; ‘What is it like growing up as a twin? Do twins have difficulty in non-twin relationships? Why do twins fight? Why is twin loss so profoundly difficult for the surviving twin? Why should parents stress the individual differences between their twin children? How can we help gifted and challenged twins? What are the advantages of co-twins being different?’ Dr. Klein’s twin Marjorie teaches rhetorical writing at Stanford University and Dr. Klein will surely comment on their relationship throughout the life stages of childhood and adulthood.
-
NOMOTC, founded in 1960, is currently a network of over 450 local clubs and 25000 individual parents of multiples. This non-profit organization funded by grants, donations and dues is dedicated to supporting families through education, research and networking. The organization partners with local support groups, health care providers, researchers and educators to raise public awareness about the unique qualities of multiples. NOMOTC publishes current research, expert columns, book reviews, club news, and multiple birth related articles and participates in medical and psychological research projects that involve multiples and/or their families. It is a national charter member of the International Society of Twin Studies and the COMBO. They operate a Support Service Program to assist individuals in special cases including Pen Pals for parents of disabled multiples, support for Higher Order Multiples and Bereavement Support for those who have lost a child or spouse.
-
Dr. Mercy has heard from many twins that she would love the novel I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, whose books have been popularized by the Oprah Book Club and the merits of his fictional style. The 40-year-old ‘hero’ is an identical twin whose brother has paranoid schizophrenia. The novel covers their childhood, family history (which includes twins), and his psychotherapy with a psychologist who helps him integrate these pieces of his psyche. Dr. Mercy will be discussing the patterns of twinship attributed to the characters in the novel and their importance in the structure of the novel. Tune in and hear how Wally Lamb, a celebrated fiction writer and teacher, handles the twin theme. #1 New York Times Bestseller and Oprah Book Club selection: "Thoughtful . . . heart-wrenching . . . . An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It's hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget." — USA Today Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of self-mutilation. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself—a journey of the soul that takes him beyond his blue-collar New England town to Sicily’s Mount Etna, the birthplace of his grandfather and namesake. Coming to terms with his life and lineage, Dominick struggles to find forgiveness and finally rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his troubled twin. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece. I Know this Much is True - Amazon