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I have the persistent sensation of existing in the stance of a tightrope walker: precariously poised in alienated space. (p. 324)
Diary of a Fallen Psychoanalyst: The Work Books of Masud Khan, edited by Linda Hopkins and Steven Kuchuck, is a literary achievement that repairs a gap in the narrative of analytic memory. This extraordinary editorial accomplishment invites the reader to share, in Khan's own words, the day-to-day observations of a complex, controversial, and largely forgotten analytic celebrity. During the time span of the Work Books, Masud Khan experienced the height of his career. Then, according to the Preface, “he was at the centre of international psychoanalysis and perhaps the most popular writer and speaker in that world” (p. xiv). In 1975, Erik Erickson is reported to have said that “the next decade in psychoanalysis belongs to Khan” (Hopkins, 2006, p. 253). His impeccable literary talents made him vital to the British Psycho-Analytic Society (BPS) for organization of their library, editorial input into the International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, and the compiling of The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud. Additionally, the works of D. W. Winnicott might not have found the acknowledgment they deserved without the collaborative efforts of Khan, who gathered, edited, and referenced them and had them published in definitive volumes. Further, Khan's own writings—many articles and three acclaimed books (focused on the schizoid personality and the nature of perversion)—established his original genius and elegant, precise style in their own right.
Three biographies of Khan have been published: Judy Cooper's (1993) is brief and personal; Roger Willoughby's (2005) is more
distant and emphasizes Khan's writings; Linda Hopkins's (2006) is the best of the three—neutral but humane, comprehensive, exhaustively researched, and an impressive example of what a biography should be. Hopkins's study has just been reissued by Karnac Books, appearing as a companion pie