Mary Edwards, "Sartre’s Existential Psychoanalysis: Knowing Others" (Bloomsbury, 2022)

"Princeton University Press is thrilled to share news of a major new initiative: the publication of The Critical Edition of the Works of C. G. Jung. As the longtime publisher of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung in North America, PUP is honored to be global publisher of the Critical Edition, having recently secured world language rights and the support from the Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung in Zürich, who will be facilitating and guiding access to documents and letters and providing its expertise to this major undertaking based on family archives. Led by general editor Sonu Shamdasani, an esteemed historian of psychiatry and psychology and a preeminent expert on Jung, this ambitious, multi-year undertaking will result in 26 volumes of material, all newly translated by Caitlin Stephens, that will bring the Swiss psychologist’s formidable work to new life for a new generation of readers. Astrid Freuler, an independent professional translator, will provide proofreading for the translations. Volumes will feature a scholarly apparatus, including historical introductions, contextual annotations that will draw heavily on Jung’s unpublished correspondences, and variorum presentations of works that went through multiple editions, noting revisions. Alongside the general editor, Jung historians Gaia Domenici, Martin Liebscher, and Christopher Wagner will serve as volume editors." -From Princeton University Press' announcement Sonu Shamdasani is a professor at University College London, co-director at the health humanities center, and recognized as one of the world’s most renowned scholars of psychologist, Carl Jung. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

16 Jun 15min

The discussion explored the concept of “misogynoir” and its impact on Black women, including the ways in which societal expectations and cultural biases affect their experiences in leadership roles and in positions of authority. Moya Bailey’s (2021) definition of this term was described. It combines misogyny and anti-Black racism but is a distinct phenomenon that highlights how the experiences of Black women are not simply additive—racism plus sexism—but are multiplicative and intersectional; a combination that creates a unique form of racialized gender violence often in ways that are subtle, insidious, and deeply rooted in unconscious fantasy. The conversation between Dr. Karyne Messina, the host of “Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Racism in America,” and Dr. Felecia Powell-Williams, the show’s co-host, described how the powerful lens of psychoanalytic theory can explain how mechanism of defense operate as it relates to this term, not just as overt bias, but as a deeply embedded cultural logic stemming from the unconscious psychic life of our nation. Particular attention was paid to the concepts of projective identification, repression, idealization and devaluation all of which illuminate how unconscious anxieties, disavowed societal shame, and collective guilt can be projected onto Black women, especially those in positions of power. They also provided examples of “misogynoir” such as the controversial dismissal of the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, and the relentless, often unhinged scrutiny faced by former Vice-president Kamala Harris. The host and co-host also talked about the important roles Black mothers can play in the world of entertainment who have the opportunity to teach their daughters how to navigate today in a world that is filled with negativity brought about by social media criticism while maintaining their own agendas. Beyonce’s way of working with Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter was one example that was provided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

13 Jun 39min

Narrating Irish Female Development, 1916-2018 (Edinburgh UP, 2024) studies narratives of Irish female and feminized development, arguing that these postmodern  narratives present Irish female maturation as disordered and often deliberately disorderly. The first full-length study of the Irish female  coming of age story, the book develops a feminist psychoanalytic narratology, derived from the belated oedipalization of Joyce’s bildungsheld, to read these stories. This study argues that all Irish maturation stories are shaped by the uneven and belated maturation story  of the Irish republic itself, which took as its avatar the Irish woman,  whose citizenship in that republic was unrealized, as indeed was her citizenship in an Irish republic of letters. Dougherty takes the writing  of Irish women as seriously as other critics have taken Joyce’s work. Discusses texts by James Joyce, John McGahern, Hannah Lynch, Kate O’Brien, Lady Gregory, Maud Gonne, Mary Colum, Elizabeth Bowen, Edna O’Brien, Dervla Murphy, Clare Boylan, Nuala O’Faolain, Eavan Boland, Anne Enright, Claire Keegan, Eimear McBride, Éilís ní Dhuibhne, Melatu Uche Okorie, and Soula Emmanuel Examines the form, narration, and content of fictional, non-fictional, and national narratives Develops a feminist psychoanalytic narratology Synthesizes historical, sociojuridical, feminist, post-colonial, and literary historical narratives of Irish development Jane Elizabeth Dougherty is Professor in the School of Literature, Writing and Digital Humanities and affiliate faculty in the School of Africana and Multicultural Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Helen Penet is a lecturer in English and Irish Studies at Université de Lille (France). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

28 Mai 46min

Today I interviewed Jan Borowicz about Perverse Memory and the Holocaust: A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Polish Bystanders (Routledge, 2024). "The assumptions of my book rely on a simple thesis: indifference to violence is impossible and that the primal scene for Polish culture is the experience of Nazism. In Poland we have still a humanitarian crisis by our border. And there is a tiny minority of local and non-local activists who sacrifice themselves and who give help to the people that are dying in the forests, especially during the wintertime. And there are people who live nearby and live day to day-by-day helping the helping the people crossing even and crossing the border and they're harassed and victims of police brutality. And then I had a very strange thought that now I can understand what happened during the during the war and during the Holocaust where exactly this where exactly this happened. And people who deal with Holocaust history and Holocaust memory had the same association, same analogy, that this is somehow and gruesomely very, very similar. And it struck me, the thought that now I understand because as if I was not entirely sure or not entirely certain if I believed it and in the first place. My book is about denial and disavowal. Knowing something and not knowing at the same time." – Jan Borowicz from the interview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

21 Mai 1h 12min

This episode delves into the intense conflicts surrounding race, history, and education in America, asking why classrooms have become such volatile battlegrounds. Moving beyond surface-level political or ideological debates, two psychoanalysts, Drs. Karyne Messina and Felecia Powell-Williams apply some of the tools of psychoanalysis to uncover the deeper, often unconscious, psychological forces at play. The discussion explores how the enduring legacy of racism in the United States, particularly the unacknowledged weight of historical trauma and guilt related to anti-Blackness, fuels a societal "War on Knowing." Central to this analysis are the defense mechanisms mobilized, both individually and collectively, to ward off the psychic pain associated with confronting uncomfortable truths. The episode focuses particularly on Denial, examining its manifestation not just as simple lack of knowledge, but as an active refusal to acknowledge the ongoing realities of systemic racism, its historical roots, and its contemporary impact. This denial serves to protect a cherished, often idealized, national or group identity from information that would create profound dissonance and distress. Furthermore, the discussion explores the powerful role of Splitting and Projective Identification. These complex mechanisms involves unconscious splitting of people into good and bad groups followed by casting off unwanted or unbearable aspects of the self or the group (such as guilt, aggression, or vulnerability related to racism) while attributing them to the external 'other' – be it individuals, groups, or institutions. The target is then subtly induced to feel or behave in line with the projection, allowing the projector to disavow these difficult feelings while simultaneously controlling or attacking the externalized 'badness'. In the context of racism, this can manifest as projecting blame, divisiveness, or even racism itself onto those advocating for racial justice or onto institutions perceived as challenging dominant narratives. The episode argues that this "War on Knowing," driven by defenses like Denial and Projective Identification, plays out with particular ferocity in educational settings. Prestigious universities like Harvard and Columbia, often seen as centers of knowledge production and increasingly engaging with their own complex histories, including ties to slavery, become potent symbolic targets. Actions directed at these institutions – such as investigations into admissions policies (affirmative action), attacks on diversity initiatives, or challenges to curricula addressing systemic racism (like Critical Race Theory) – can be understood from a psychoanalytic perspective. Listeners will hear an exploration of the profound psychological costs of this ongoing battle: the invalidation and potential re-traumatization experienced by students of color, the fragile and incomplete understanding fostered in white students shielded by these defenses. Ultimately, the episode suggests that meaningful progress requires moving beyond mere factual debate or political maneuvering. It calls for recognizing these powerful unconscious dynamics and fostering approaches rooted in the psychoanalytic concept of "working through" – creating spaces capable of containing the difficult emotions associated with confronting historical truths, rather than perpetuating cycles of defense, projection, and acting out. This psychoanalytic perspective offers a crucial, if challenging, lens for comprehending the deep-seated resistance to fully knowing and reckoning with racism in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

6 Mai 34min

In this episode, Matthew Pieknik and Christopher Russell speak with Gohar Homayounpour about her book Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning (Routledge, 2023) Psychoanalysis is, Homayounpour tells us early in the interview, “a profession for dreamers, for people who don't know what to do with themselves. for freaks. This is not a profession for people in suits at universities who have a clear idea of the status quo. It's the absolute opposite. It's the carnival, you know, it's still unofficial, it's the subversive because that's the discourse of the unconscious. But this is a dangerous business, you know, and it should be for both analytic subjects in the room. I'm in favor of absence. I'm in favor of disturbance. I'm in favor of pollution and darkness. I think these are things that need to be celebrated.” In Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning, Gohar Homayounpour plays a theme and variations on loss, love, and family against the backdrop of Iran’s chaotic recent past. Homayounpour is simultaneously Shahrzad, the fearless storyteller, and Shahrzad’s analyst: subjecting fairy tales to fierce new insights, while weaving an indigo thread through her own devastation on the death of her father and the wonders and horrors of motherhood. A blue thread, or melody, runs though the separations and emigrations of her family and patients driven or broken apart by war, and likewise through the fraught world inhabited by Persian women. This book breaks new psychoanalytic ground, offering a radical rejection of traditional clichés about Iran, and Iranian women, but its unsparing elegance transcends any political agenda, bridging the ocean of a shared and tragic humanity. Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytically informed readers, as well as those interested in grief, Iran, and women’s experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

21 Apr 1h 23min

The recent removal of information about Black, Indigenous, and female military personnel from the Arlington National Cemetery’s website exemplifies how cancel culture intersects with broader societal dynamics, particularly in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Under directives from the Department of Defense, pages highlighting notable veterans, such as Colin Powell, Jackie Roberson and members of the Tuskegee Airmen were deleted. These actions align with executive orders targeting DEI efforts in federal agencies, raising concerns about historical erasure and its implications for marginalized groups. This form of cancel culture—removing or altering narratives—reflects a modern-day example of erasure as a defense mechanism. Psychoanalytic theory offers insights into this phenomenon, particularly through concepts like repression and the “return of the repressed.” Erasure can be seen as a defense against confronting uncomfortable truths about systemic inequities or historical injustices. By eliminating these narratives from public platforms, institutions may unconsciously attempt to suppress collective guilt or discomfort. However, Freud’s theory suggests that repressed material often resurfaces in unintended ways, potentially fueling collective anger or demands for accountability. Other psychoanalytic defenses also play a role in cancel culture. Projection involves attributing one’s own insecurities or biases onto others, which can manifest in public condemnation of individuals or groups perceived as embodying those traits. Rationalization allows individuals or institutions to justify their actions—such as removing historical content—under the guise of compliance with executive orders or policy changes. Displacement, another mechanism, shifts focus from systemic issues (e.g., structural racism) to surface-level actions like website edits, thereby avoiding deeper engagement with societal problems. Cancel culture extends beyond institutional actions to broader societal trends. Modern examples include public figures like Andrew Cuomo and Chris Brown navigating cancellations and subsequent comebacks. These cases highlight how cancel culture can sometimes lose its potency over time, especially when individuals retain strong support bases. Social media platforms have also relaxed moderation policies, allowing previously banned accounts to return, which reflects shifting attitudes toward cancel practices. Ultimately, understanding cancel culture through psychoanalytic mechanisms reveals its complex interplay between societal norms and individual psychology. Erasure as a defense may temporarily shield institutions from scrutiny but risks perpetuating cycles of repression and backlash. Addressing these dynamics requires fostering empathy and critical dialogue to prevent harmful patterns of exclusion and suppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

4 Apr 45min

In Anatomy of a Psychotic Experience (Ipbooks, 2022), psychoanalyst Richard Reichbart recounts a psychotic experience when he was in his thirties juxtaposing an account written a few years after the experience with reflections made decades later. This unique work captures both the subjective experience of a particular kind of psychosis, and the analytic interpretation of that experience. "He graphically portrays both the feel and the logic of a psychotic episode foreshadowed by his separation from college and from law school and ultimately precipitated by the loss of his beloved grandfather. His search for his identity led him to the Navajo reservation which was 'ideal for the nurturance of my psychosis.' He gives testimony to the help he received from two outstanding psychoanalysts who worked with him to unpack and weave together the effects of childhood events and fantasies on his adult personality. A book for those at all levels of psychoanalysis, one that demonstrates the possibility of psychoanalyzing psychosis." - JANICE LIEBERMAN, PHD Akilesh Ayyar is a spiritual teacher and writer in New York. He can be reached at ayyar@akilesh.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

20 Mar 1h 8min