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| Winter still raging on, we've got a whole new crop of reads to recommend. |
If you’re a publisher or author, please let us know about your upcoming books by emailing freud.quotes [at] gmail [dot] com so you may be included in future roundup.
#26 Psychoanalytic Filiations: Mapping the Psychoanalytic Movement by Ernst Falzeder
This book presents a collection of fifteen essays on the early history of psychoanalysis, focusing on the network of psychoanalytic “filiations” ("who analysed whom") and the context of discovery of crucial concepts, such as Freud’s technical recommendations, the therapeutic use of countertransference, the introduction of the anal phase, the birth of the object-relations-model as opposed to the drive-model in psychoanalysis, and the psychotherapeutic treatment of psychoses.
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| Detail from Falzeder's "spaghetti junction." Look out for William Burroughs, Marilyn Monroe, Lou Andreas-Salomé, and André Gide, among others. |
Several chapters deal with key figures in that history, such as Sándor Ferenczi, Karl Abraham, Eugen Bleuler, Otto Rank, and C.G. Jung, their respective relationship to Freud, and the consequences that their collaboration - as well as conflicts - with him had for the further development of psychoanalysis up to the present day. Other chapters give an overview of the publications of Freud’s texts and of unpublished documents (the “unknown Freud”), the editorial policy of the publications of Freud’s letters, and the question of Freud's negative attitude toward America.
#27 Reflections on the Aesthetic Experience: Psychoanalysis and the Uncanny by Gregorio Kohon
In his new book Reflections on the Aesthetic: Psychoanalysis and the uncanny, Gregorio Kohon examines and reflects upon psychoanalytic understandings of estrangement, the Freudian notions of the uncanny and Nachträglichkeit, exploring how these are evoked in works of literature and art, and are present in our response to such works.
Kohon provides close readings of and insights into the works of Franz Kafka, Jorge Luis Borges, Louise Bourgeois, Juan Muñoz, Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, Edvard Munch, Kurt Schwitters, amongst others; the book also includes a chapter on the Warsaw Ghetto Monument and the counter-monument aesthetic movement in post-war Germany. Kohon shows how some works of art and literature represent something that otherwise eludes representation, and how psychoanalysis and the aesthetic share the task of making a representation of the unrepresentable.
#28 Women and Images of Men in Cinema: Gender Construction in La Belle et la Bête by Jean Cocteau, Edited by Andreas Hamburger
Women and men in cinema are imaginary constructs created by filmmakers and their audiences. The film-psychoanalytic approach reveals how movies subliminally influence unconscious reception. On the other hand, the movie is embedded in a cultural tradition: Jean Cocteau‘s film La Belle et la Bête (1946) takes up the classic motif of the animal groom from the story of Cupid and Psyche in Apuleius’ The Golden Ass (originally a tale about the stunning momentum of genuine female desire), liberates it from its baroque educational moral (a girl's virtue and prudence will help her to overcome her sexual fears), and turns it into a boyhood story: inside the ugly rascal there is a good, but relatively boring prince – at least in comparison to the monsters of film history.
Book preview: Women and Images of Men in Cinema: Gender Construction in La Belle et la Bête by Jean Cocteau
#29 The Becoming Room: Filming Bion's A Memoir of the Future by Meg Harris Williams
The contents of this book represent a series of experiments in dramatizing Bion’s Memoir of the Future, the primary one being an unfinished film begun in India in the 1980s and directed by Kumar Shahani, 'epic' artfilm maker, most of whose films have been produced in Hindi. The film was inspired and initiated by Bombay psychoanalyst Udayan Patel, and sponsored by the Roland Harris Educational Trust.
The filmscript and a commentary are here included, together with a narrative poem written for Alaknanda Samarth who played the Ayah of Bion’s childhood, and a playscript written for Tom Alter who played the Father. The play is due to be first performed in Bombay and Delhi in February 2016.
Book preview: The Becoming Room: Filming Bion's A Memoir of the Future
#30 An Introduction to W.R. Bion's A Memoir of the Future: Volume Two: Facts of Matter or a Matter of Fact? by P. C. Sandler
In the last years of his life Bion gathered unusual manuscripts handwritten in his tidy lettering that assumed the form of a trilogy. Finely typed and edited by his dedicated wife, they were named A Memoir of the Future. Many of the themes of this book were already evident in Transformations and Attention and Interpretation. These earlier books provide many of the theories whose practical counterpart finally found a form in the trilogy: as Bion himself noted, "the criteria for a psychoanalytic paper are that it should stimulate in the reader the emotional experience that the writer intends, that its power to stimulate should be durable, and that the emotional experience thus stimulated should be an accurate representation of the psychoanalytic experience that stimulated the writer in first place."
In this second volume of a much needed introduction to Bion's last work, A Memoir of the Future, Paulo Cesar Sandler continues his detailed and insightful "prelude" to a work many readers have found "obscure, complicated and difficult". The first volume was described as "an exhaustive and generous contribution…to the now globalised psychoanalytic community", in which Dr Sandler "tries to share his own apprehension of Bion’s trilogy in order to allow us to perform our own apprehension of it". Using many quotations from the text of the trilogy and drawing on his own extensive clinical experience, Dr Sandler now continues with his stated aim of helping readers towards their own reading of the original text, and draws attention to the many instances where Bion has given hints and tips that analysts will find useful in their day-to-day practice.
Book preview: An Introduction to W.R. Bion's A Memoir of the Future
#31 Drive in Cinema: Essays on Film, Theory and Politics by Marc James Léger
In Drive in Cinema, Marc James Léger presents Žižek-influenced studies of films made by some of the most influential filmmakers of our time, including Jean-Luc Godard, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Werner Herzog, Alexander Kluge, William Klein, Jim Jarmusch, Hal Hartley, Harmony Korine, and more. Working with radical theory and Lacanian ethics, Léger draws surprising connections between art, film, and politics, taking his analysis beyond the academic obsession with cultural representation and filmic technique and instead revealing film’s potential as an emancipatory force.
Book preview: Drive in Cinema: Essays on Film, Theory and Politics
#32 On Minding and Being Minded: Experiencing Bion and Beckett by Ian Miller
On Minding and Being Minded explores links between depictions of lived experience written by Samuel Beckett and the experience of psychoanalytic psychotherapy pioneered in the writings of W.R. Bion. These robust literary and clinical intersections are made explicit within the demanding culture of twenty-first century psychotherapy as patient demand for time-limited, result-driven therapeutic outcomes conflicts sharply with the contours of intensive, long-term psychotherapy.
#33 The Motive for Metaphor: Brief Essays on Poetry and Psychoanalysis by Henry M. Seiden
This book is a small anthology: each chapter a kind of meditation—on poetry and psychoanalysis; on a poem, sometimes two; on poetry in general; on thought itself. The poems are beautiful, some are contemporary, some are classical and well worth a reader’s attention.
#34 Freud and the Spoken Word: Speech as a Key to the Unconscious by Ana- María Rizzuto
Ana- María Rizzuto begins with a close look at Freud’s early monograph On Aphasia, suggesting that Freud was motivated by his need to understand the disturbed speech phenomena observed in three of the patients described in Studies on Hysteria. She then turns to an examination of how Freud integrated the spoken word into his theories as well as how he actually talked with his patients, looking again at the Studies in Hysteria and continuing with the Dora case, the Rat Man and the Wolf Man. In these chapters, the author interprets how Freud’s report of his own words shed light on the varying relationships he had with his patients, when and how he was able to follow his own recommendations for treatment and when another factor (therapeutic zeal, or the wish to prove a theory) appeared to interfere in communication between the two parties in the analysis.
#35 Lost in Space: Amexane - Paths of Impossibility by Bernard Burgoyne
This is a stunning and original book that breaks new ground in the field of contemporary literature. Informed by Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, readings of Lacan, Freud and P. G. Wodehouse, its principal themes are maternal desire; the structure of tragic thought; writing itself, and the possibility of finding seemingly impossible pathways through the suffering of lived experience. It is, amongst other things, a love story, a philosophical inquiry, an artwork, a collection of poetry and - a book of jokes. Judith Gracie writes an expansive, 'everyone welcome', style of epic, one which is proof for the urgent necessity of the poetic voic
Book preview: Lost in Space: Amexane - Paths of Impossibility
#36 Stop Making Sense: Music from the Perspective of the Real by Scott Wilson
Stop Making Sense offers an original and compelling theory of music 'from the perspective of the real' as this term is understood according to the Lacanian orientation in psychoanalysis. Specific examples and cases discussed include Freud's melophobia, or fear of music; Che Guevara's revolutionary a-rhythmia; John F. Nash's obsession with 'Bach's Little Fugue'; Talking Heads and Asperger's syndrome/autism; Yoko Ono and the sense of 'lack' in the Beatles; the role of 'Imagine' in the murder of John Lennon; Brian Eno and the digital auto-generation of Freud's 'oceanic feeling'; Aphex Twin and the brain-dance of the hikikomori; and the utopian promise of Merzbow.
#37 Lacanian Affects: The Function of Affect in Lacan's Work by Colette Soler
Lacanian Affects: The Function of Affect in Lacan’s Work, is the first book to explore Lacan’s theory of affect and its implications for contemporary psychoanalytic practice. In it, Colette Soler discusses affects as diverse as the pain of existence, hatred, ignorance, mourning, sadness, "joyful knowledge," boredom, moroseness, anger, shame, and enthusiasm. Soler’s discussion culminates in a highlighting of so-called enigmatic affects: anguish, love, and the satisfaction related to the end of an analysis.
Book preview: Lacanian Affects: The Function of Affect in Lacan’s Work
#38 Jacques Lacan: Between Psychoanalysis and Politics, Edited by Samo Tomšič and Andreja Zevnik
A charismatic and controversial figure, Lacan is one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century and his work has revolutionized a range of fields. The volume aims to introduce Lacan’s vast opus to the field of international politics in a coherent and approachable manner.
Book preview: Jacques Lacan: Between Psychoanalysis and Politics
#39 More Lacanian Coordinates: On Love, Psychoanalytic Clinic, and the Ends of Analysis by Bogdan Wolf
Volume Two opens with the question of love that for Lacan forms a discourse of fragments and letters addressed to the one, which circumscribe the nonexistence of the sexual relation. Further, Lacan situates love in relation to knowledge, making ignorance, alongside love and hatred, the third passion. Lacanian discourse, as a social bond of speaking beings in love, can be considered between two passions: to want to know and to want not to know. Each position has the real impact on the subject, whether neurotic or psychotic, leading to produce different outcomes and solutions.
#40 Deleuze and Desire by Piotrek Swiatkowski
The engagement of Deleuze with psychoanalysis has led to the development of a remarkable and highly influential theory about human desire. The most systematic account of this theory, crucial for anyone interested in the work of Deleuze and Guattari, can be found in the discussion of the dynamic genesis of sense, a pivotal part of Deleuze’s The Logic of Sense.
In Deleuze and Desire Piotrek Swiatkowski picks up the challenge to provide an ad literam commentary of this text. Swiatkowski makes use of a broad range of examples, from psychoanalytic case studies to art, literature, and film, and analyses in an accessible and clear way the impact of the work of psychoanalysts such as Melanie Klein on Deleuze.
Book preview: Deleuze and Desire
#41 The Enigma of Desire: Sex, Longing, and Belonging in Psychoanalysis by Galit Atlas
The Enigma of Desire: Sex, Longing and Belonging in Psychoanalysis, introduces new perspectives on desire and longing, in and outside of the analytic relationship. This exciting volume explores the known and unknown, ghosts and demons, sexuality and lust. Galit Atlas discusses the subjects of sex and desire and explores what she terms the Enigmatic and the Pragmatic aspects of sexuality, longing, female desire, sexual inhibition, pregnancy, parenthood and creativity.
#42 Body Image and Identity in Contemporary Societies: Psychoanalytic, Social, Cultural and Aesthetic Perspectives, Edited by Sukhanova and Thomashoff
Popular interest in body image issues has grown dramatically in recent years, due to an emphasis on individual responsibility and self-determination in contemporary society as well as the seemingly limitless capacities of modern medicine; however body image as a separate field of academic inquiry is still relatively young. The contributors of Body Image and Identity in Contemporary Societies explore the complex social, political and aesthetic interconnections between body image and identity. It is an in-depth study that allows for new perspectives in the analysis of contemporary visual art and literature but also reflects on how these social constructs inform clinical treatment.
Book preview: Body Image and Identity in Contemporary Societies: Psychoanalytic, Social, Cultural and Aesthetic Perspectives
#43 Sexualities: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Edited by Alessandra Lemma and Paul E. Lynch
Sexualities: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Perspectives presents a broad selection of contemporary psychoanalytic thinking on sexuality from a wide range of psychoanalytic traditions. Sexuality remains at the heart of much psychoanalytic theory and practice but it is a complex and controversial subject. Edited by Alessandra Lemma and Paul E. Lynch, this volume includes a range of international contributions that examine contemporary issues and trace common themes needed to understand any sexuality, including the basics of sexuality, and the myriad ways in which sexuality is lived.
Book preview: Sexualities: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Perspectives
#44 The Legacy of R. D. Laing: An Appraisal of His Contemporary Relevance, Edited by M. Guy Thompson
The name R. D. Laing continues to be widely recognized by those in the psychotherapy community in the United States and Europe. Laing’s books are a testament to his breadth of interests, including the understanding of madness, alternatives to conventional psychiatric treatment, existential philosophy and therapy, family systems, cybernetics, mysticism, and poetry. He is most remembered for his devastating critique of psychiatric practices, his controversial rejection of the concept of ‘mental illness,’ and his groundbreaking center for people in acute mental distress at Kingsley Hall, London.
#45 Critical Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and Counselling: Implications for Practice, Edited by Del Loewenthal
This book explores what 'critical' means for the talking therapies in a climate of increasing state influence and intervention. It looks at theoretical and practical notions of 'critical' from perspectives including queer theory, feminism, Marxism, the psychiatric survivor movement, as well as from within counsellor training and education.
#46 Psychoanalysis and Philosophy of Mind: Unconscious Mentality in the Twenty-first Century, Edited by Simon Boag, Linda A. W. Brakel and Vesa Talvitie
This book addresses the psychoanalytic concept of mind in the 21st century via a joint scientific and philosophical appraisal of psychoanalytic theory. It provides a fresh critical appraisal and reflection on Freudian concepts, as well as addressing how current evidence and scientific thinking bear upon Freudian theory. The book centres upon the major concepts in psychoanalysis, including the notion of unconscious mental processes and wish-fulfilment and their relationship to dreams, fantasy, attachment processes, and neuroscience.
Book preview: Psychoanalysis and Philosophy of Mind: Unconscious Mentality in the Twenty-first Century
#47 Maps for Psychoanalytic Exploration by Parthenope Bion Talamo
Maps for Psychoanalytic Exploration brings together Parthenope Bion Talamo’s main works, until now published only in Italian. They are made available to a wider readership in this volume through a translation into English by Shaun Whiteside, supported by the generosity of the members of the Melanie Klein Trust.
In these chapters Parthenope explores important implications of her father’s ideas at different levels of psychic and social organisation. Her writing is very clear and, as Dr Anna Bauzzi, the Editor of the Italian edition, writes in her Introduction, the quality of it makes many of Bion’s ideas more accessible, without any reduction of their complexity.
Book preview: Maps for Psychoanalytic Exploration
#48 Everyday Life and the Unconscious Mind: An Introduction to Psychoanalytic Concepts by Hannah Curtis
Everyday Life and the Unconscious Mind is written for students, for those who work in the care sector, or in management, and for those who love someone who is struggling emotionally. It explains and clarifies some of the concepts that address the way in which the unconscious mind works and how it seeks to manage its feelings.
#49 The Psychoanalytic Model of the Mind by Elizabeth L. Auchincloss
Despite the widespread influence of psychoanalysis in the field of mental health, until now no single book has been published that explains the psychoanalytic model of the mind to the many students and practitioners who want to understand it. The Psychoanalytic Model of the Mind represents an important breakthrough: in simple language, it presents complicated ideas and concepts in an accessible manner, demystifies psychoanalysis, debunks some of the myths that have plagued it, and defuses the controversies that have too long attended it.
Book preview: The Psychoanalytic Model of the Mind
#50 Growing Up?: A Journey with Laughter by Patrick Casement
This book is written by a well established author, previously writing in a quite different genre, that of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and counselling. But this book is written for an entirely different readership. Casement has put together a fascinating account of his strange journey from a privileged background, through schools and national service and through university, avoiding throughout the pull of his family for him to join the Royal Navy.
Instead, he leaves university with a degree but heads straight into becoming a bricklayer's mate. From there, eventually, he gets through the vicissitudes of Probation and Social Work, and the hilarious experiences of trying to furnish his first flat. He thus moves into what he describes as the 'real' world - getting what his family would regard as a 'real job' (or two). But despite that, he continues on his unpredictable journey - into becoming a psychotherapist and then a psychoanalyst: what his mother thought was 'training to become a psychotic'.
Book preview: Growing Up?: A Journey with Laughter
If you’re a publisher or author, please let us know about your upcoming
books by emailing freud.quotes [at] gmail [dot] com so you may be
included in future roundup.
