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WRITING ON

THE MOON

Bonnie Zindel

Writing on the Moon: Stories and Poetry from the Creative Unconscious by Psychoanalysts and Others by Bonnie Zindel,( Karnac Books) is a collection of some of the best poetry, stories, and creative non-fiction published in the Creative Literary Arts Section of Psychoanalytic Perspectives.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTERS

1. Dreams as poetry
2. From image to words: one unconscious speaks to another
3. Love calls: a call for love
4. Creativity and madness
5. The art of Thomas Ogden
6. Letters to Dearest Mother from famous writers
7. Poetry by people in analysis
8. Voices out of New Orleans: Hurricane Katrina
9. Presence and absence
10. Emotional travel writing
11. The unexpected poet: D. W. Winnicott
12. Mothers of the Milky Way - Part One: poetry
13. Mothers of the Milky Way - Part Two: creative nonfiction
14. Art brut—outsider art
15. Strong women’s voices
16. Capturing moments: four very, very short narratives, three poems,
and a photograph
17. Ferenczi and relationality: on losing one’s analyst

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DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK

Writing on the Moon: Stories and Poetry from the Creative Unconscious by Psychoanalysts and Others by Bonnie Zindel,( Karnac Books) is a collection of some of the best poetry, stories, and creative non-fiction published in the Creative Literary Arts Section of Psychoanalytic Perspectives.


       Bonnie originated the Section in the first issue fourteen years ago; the first time creative expression had been given a permanent place in a scholarly journal.  She selected themes that would spark the imagination and inspire the creativity of others, and wrote imaginative introductions for each section: Notes from the Creative Literary Editor.  


       Over the course of 31 issues she sent out Calls that would tap into our most original and spontaneous selves -- such as  “Dreams as Poetry,” “Creativity and Madness,” “Love Calls: A Call for Love,” “Poetry by People in Analysis,” “From Image to Words: One Unconscious Speaks to Another,” and “Mothers of the Milky Way.”  The responses were overwhelming – hundreds of poems poured in -- and she realized there was an enormous need for self-expression in the filed of psychotherapy.


         Submissions came from as far away as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, France Israel, Canada, Czechoslovakia, and from across the United States.  More than half of the contributors to this unique book are psychotherapists – others include writers, actors, performers, patients, professors and cartoonists. Among the other contributors are Robert Stolorow, Thomas Ogden, Philip Ringstrom, Spyros Orfanos, Warren Wilner, and the unexpected poet, D.W. Winnicott.  

PRAISE FOR
WRITING ON THE MOON

“Bonnie Zindel is a real pioneer in expanding the domain of what is psychoanalysis."

Thomas Ogden, MD, published eleven book on psychoanalysis, and two novels, translated into more than twenty languages, He was awarded the 2012 Sigourney Award for his contribution to the field of psychoanalysis.

“In all our published work until now, the creativity of psychoanalysts has been limited to the expressiveness and evocativeness of our clinical descriptions and theoretical contributions.  In this enchanting new volume, Bonnie Zindel gives psychoanalysts and those inspired by psychoanalysis a chance to unleash their creative energies and show a different face.  It is the face of our insides turned outward, the creative unconscious reaching out, not only from our minds but from our depths and toward our common humanity.”

-Jody Messler Davies, PhD. New York University Postdoctoral Program, The Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies

“Bonnie Zindel’s Writing on the Moon is a profoundly extraordinary and compassionate compilation of poetry, art, and narratives, born out of the world and pens of psychoanalysts and creative artist. The title alone draws you in with its perceptive sense of the artist’s isolation in inhabiting the unexplored terrain of the creative unconscious.  Zindel has curated a deeply human book whose democracy of shared visions is a treasure.  She inspires us to move the power of the word infinitely forward.”

James Ragan, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Poetry at Charles University, Prague, and Former Director of University of the Southern California Graduate Professional Writing Program for 25 years, author of 9 books of poetry.

“Bonnie Zindel,a psychoanalyst and writer, has gathered a remarkable collection of creative works which pay homage to the wisdom of the unconscious as expressed through the arts, in dreams, and in the consulting room. The multitude of voices speak to themes we encounter on our journey through life as we grapple with the human condition and personal traumas.”

Sophia Richman, PhD, author of Mended by the Muse: Creative Transformations of Trauma (Routledge, 2014)

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