How are articles chosen for TAP? This issue of TAP is typical, and here is the story on how it came about.
Some articles are regular features. President Marv Margolis writes the president's column, BOPS Chair Larry Chalfin writes the BOPS column, and Hinda Simon, appointed by the Affiliates Council, writes or commissions the Candidate's Column. She asked Lee Jaffe to write the column for this issue. Because nominations for officers took place at the recent annual meeting in Los Angeles, candidate statements appear in this issue.
TAP's publication schedule revolves around the two yearly meetings of The American. The present issue covers the annual meeting. Associate Editor Mel Mandel and I report on Council and Board, as we did for several years before my term as editor. I have been reluctant to turn the assignment to others, since writing about the meetings is complicated and inaccuracies have been subject to complaints.
Page 1 of issue 3 customarily informs members about the fall meeting. Reporter Jack Miller, who writes about it, was suggested by Chuck Rothstein, then chair of the Program Committee. The article about Donald Rosenblitt's election as chair of BOPS is written by his friend Mike Gundle, West Coast editor, who volunteered for the assignment at the annual meeting.
Many articles are developed during national meetings. The important and expensive CD-ROM project approved in May had caused some controversy. Someone suggested an article be published to inform and promote—an excellent idea. Judy Schachter, a moving force in the project and the president of its board, was the logical choice for the author. A second story also developed from the May meeting. The tension between CGRI and CPR had cooled and national political issues were heating up. Art Farley, chair of CGRI, was asked to update the committee's recent work. He asked Sam Rubin, president of CPR, to coauthor. Coinciden-tally, others in attendance commented that the membership should know more of these developments.
At the meeting of the Steering Committee in March, Melvin Bornstein, cochair of the Committee on Societies, mentioned the need for societies to get online. Instead of asking just for an announcement, I asked for an article about the committee's important and impressive work. Mel and cochair Allan Rosenblatt agreed.
Letters to the editor are generally published in each issue. This issue has more than usual because of the ongoing disagreement of some members with the Committee on Issues on Homosexuality. In addition, TAP published an ad and announcement about the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) that deeply offended many readers, two of whose letters appear in this issue.
At the fall meeting, John Crow handed me an article about the New York Psychoanalytic Institute's FreudNet. Two months later, after reading The American's Strategic Communication Plan—which emphasized the need for TAP to publicize computer usage—I called John, who with Matthew von Unwerth was pleased to revise and update the article. I mentioned this to Paul Mosher, the guiding force behind The American's Web site, who remarked that TAP had not published an article about it. Paul agreed to write this article, and these two pieces compliment each other. However, at the Los Angeles meeting this became a minor problem. Paul was selected to run for secretary. TAP has a policy to not unduly highlight any candidate during election time, but fortunately someone had mentioned that Jon Meyer, the other candidate for secretary, should write an article about the significant changes occurring within the Council. Jon agreed and the problem was solved.
The work of foundation is very important. Harvey Rich, chair of the Committee on Foundations, arranged for Leslie Brown to write an article about its activities. In an E-mail message to me, Harriet Basseches suggested she write an article on the grassroots action in Washington protesting the cancellation of the Library of Congress Freud Exhibit. Her article, coauthored by Nancy Goodman, appears in this issue. Ron Benson, who headed The American's Ad Hoc Committee, agreed to write about the committee's work. This gave two complimentary articles on one of psychoanalysis's successes in 1996. Elise Snyder, East Coast editor, asked if TAP would be interested in an article by fellow Jodi Brown about her participation with members of The American at a panel at the APA meeting—We certainly were.
Features on the outreach of institutes, societies, and individuals into the community are of much interest. When the special section “Psychoanalysis in the Community” was being developed under the editorship of mid-American editor Lynn Moritz, Bobbi Fischer was praised for her effectiveness in publicizing analysis in San Francisco. I called Lisby Mayer, a member of the editorial board from San Francisco, and she suggested Katherine MacVicker write an article. Katherine was enthusiastic and agreed.
So this is the manner in which articles and authors were chosen for this issue of TAP. In certain ways it works like an old-boys' network. Officers and committee chairmen frequently are “old boys,” and many are from the East Coast. This reflects the composition of The American during the time the current leadership gained the experience and knowledge leading to their present positions. However, the composition of The American is changing dramatically. In forming the editorial staff, the wish for diversity has played an important role. TAP has aimed for diversity of gender, geography, membership status, and age. Three regional editors have been appointed, and the editorial board has four members from each of the three regions. Also, one Board member from each region is a candidate (who is suggested by the Affiliates Council).
Using the ideas, suggestions, and talent of this group TAP expects to reflect the actual diversity of The American. How
successful has it been? There are twenty-nine authors and coauthors of the major articles in this issue. Eight authors are women. Sixteen authors are from mid-America or the West Coast. (Six authors are from the New York metropolitan area.) Two candidates, one fellow, and three nonmembers are authors. (As for age, I didn't ask.)
The editorial board meets during the two yearly meetings of The American, when fresh ideas, projects, and articles are created. However, many of the best ideas come from that person in the hallway who says, “You know, TAP should write about….”