Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Dr. Craig Yorke’s memoir Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon’s Journey began as a letter to his sons. It became something larger: an attempt to understand what our parents give us, what history does to us, and what it takes to finally put down some of the armor we needed to survive.
Craig grew up in Boston with parents deeply wounded by racism and determined that their son would have opportunities denied to them. That determination helped carry him through Boston Latin, Harvard, medical school, and a long career as a neurosurgeon. It also came at a price.
We talk about his parents, race and class in Boston, the violin he was made to play and eventually abandoned for 35 years, the patients who stayed with him, becoming a husband and father, and the community he found in Topeka.
What I appreciated about Craig’s book is that it isn’t a sermon. It’s a man looking back at his life and trying to see it clearly. As Craig puts it, the question is whether the past incarcerates us or whether we can gain enough perspective to live more freely.
This was a conversation I was very glad to have.
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LINKS
Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon's Journey
bookshop.org/a/99692/9781953583987
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00:00 The Past - Craig Yorke asks whether memory traps us or gives us perspective.
04:41 Writing Steep - Craig explains why he wrote his memoir for his sons.
12:15 Race and Memory - Craig reflects on identity, history, and growing up Black in Boston.
17:14 The Armor of Success - Craig talks about the pressure his parents placed on him to succeed.
28:36 Boston Latin - Craig remembers the demanding education that shaped his childhood.
34:44 A Credit to the Race - Craig recalls his mother’s fierce expectations for his education.
41:31 The Violin - Craig explains why he stopped playing for 35 years.
47:21 His Parents’ Sacrifice - Craig reflects on what his parents gave up for his future.
55:34 Life as a Surgeon - Craig remembers losing a young patient during his medical training.
59:55 The Ghosts We Carry - Craig talks about how patients stayed with him throughout his career.
01:03:21 Becoming a Father - Craig remembers the frightening birth of his son.
01:08:15 Finding Community - Craig realizes how deeply he had become part of Topeka.
01:11:07 The Meaning of Medicine - Craig reflects on the privilege of caring for people.
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frankschaeffer.substack.com/p/what-do-we-do-with-the-past?utm_source=youtube
Dr. Craig Yorke’s memoir Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon’s Journey began as a letter to his sons. It became something larger: an attempt to understand what our parents give us, what history does to us, and what it takes to finally put down some of the armor we needed to survive.
Craig grew up in Boston with parents deeply wounded by racism and determined that their son would have opportunities denied to them. That determination helped carry him through Boston Latin, Harvard, medical school, and a long career as a neurosurgeon. It also came at a price.
We talk about his parents, race and class in Boston, the violin he was made to play and eventually abandoned for 35 years, the patients who stayed with him, becoming a husband and father, and the community he found in Topeka.
What I appreciated about Craig’s book is that it isn’t a sermon. It’s a man looking back at his life and trying to see it clearly. As Craig puts it, the question is whether the past incarcerates us or whether we can gain enough perspective to live more freely.
This was a conversation I was very glad to have.
_____
LINKS
Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon's Journey
bookshop.org/a/99692/9781953583987
_____
00:00 The Past - Craig Yorke asks whether memory traps us or gives us perspective.
04:41 Writing Steep - Craig explains why he wrote his memoir for his sons.
12:15 Race and Memory - Craig reflects on identity, history, and growing up Black in Boston.
17:14 The Armor of Success - Craig talks about the pressure his parents placed on him to succeed.
28:36 Boston Latin - Craig remembers the demanding education that shaped his childhood.
34:44 A Credit to the Race - Craig recalls his mother’s fierce expectations for his education.
41:31 The Violin - Craig explains why he stopped playing for 35 years.
47:21 His Parents’ Sacrifice - Craig reflects on what his parents gave up for his future.
55:34 Life as a Surgeon - Craig remembers losing a young patient during his medical training.
59:55 The Ghosts We Carry - Craig talks about how patients stayed with him throughout his career.
01:03:21 Becoming a Father - Craig remembers the frightening birth of his son.
01:08:15 Finding Community - Craig realizes how deeply he had become part of Topeka.
01:11:07 The Meaning of Medicine - Craig reflects on the privilege of caring for people.
_____
frankschaeffer.substack.com/p/what-do-we-do-with-the-past?utm_source=youtube
