Editorial

Following the sad and premature loss of James Fisher in October 2012, which was marked by Couple and Family Psychoanalysis with an obituary (Vol. 3, No 1, Spring, 2013), the Editorial Board decided that it would also be fitting to dedicate this issue of the Journal to him. It is a source of particular regret that we had not managed to commission an article from him, and a painful reminder of the permanent presence of mortality and change, and the consequent importance of seizing the day.

James Fisher had a powerful, memorable voice; powerful in that it reached across specialisms in the world of psychotherapy as well as across continents, and memorable in that, having heard him speak in person, the vibrant tones of his voice echo in his written words. I am delighted that, thanks to the readiness of his colleagues, as well as a number of personal recollections of him in Personal Views, we have been able to assemble several articles for this commemorative issue which reflect so many of his interests, although a full Festschrift for someone with such a range as his, would require a much larger volume.

I am especially grateful to Mary Adams, James Fisher's widow, for her help and support in suggesting that we re-publish his article “The evolution of the analytic process: poetry and psychoanalysis, twin ‘sciences’ of the emotions,” which first appeared in 2002 in the Journal of the British Association of Psychotherapists, of which she was then the Editor. The choice of this paper is particularly apt, since in it Fisher expresses so many of his interests; a passionate engagement with lively psychoanalytic thinking (with up to the minute reflections on Bion, Meltzer, and Damasio) is combined with his love of the theatre, through the writings of Shakespeare and Eliot. Reading Fisher, we are taken on a journey, borne aloft by his enthusiasm and erudition. Indeed, I understand that following the British Association of Psychotherapists conference presentation of this paper, he (a