The Forgotten Journal
of Bessie Goodlander
of Bessie Goodlander
In the early twentieth century, the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS) stood where Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) is today. Nestled right in the heart of Colorado, the JCRS boasted a tuberculosis treatment center full of sunshine and a dry climate, both elements thought to ease patients’ suffering. Betty (also known as Bessie) Frances Goodlander, a real patient of the JCRS, shares her battle of life with tuberculosis through a series of journal entries.
With her disease worsening and her once relentless faith in God under fire, Bessie lashes out in order to protect her sanity and pride. She travels through the life of her disease, past endless doctors, unusual kosher food standards, and a once thought perfect marriage, gone sour to find freedom for both herself and her young daughter.
Featured at the University of Denver (DU) Penrose Library and on permanent collection at the RMCAD library.
With her disease worsening and her once relentless faith in God under fire, Bessie lashes out in order to protect her sanity and pride. She travels through the life of her disease, past endless doctors, unusual kosher food standards, and a once thought perfect marriage, gone sour to find freedom for both herself and her young daughter.
Featured at the University of Denver (DU) Penrose Library and on permanent collection at the RMCAD library.
