In an inaugural venture, the NYU Psychoanalytic Institute, PANY, and the Psychoanalytic Studies Program of the New School for Social Research are co-sponsoring a speaker series for the 1997-98 academic year. The series' theme is “More Than Mind Can Endure: Trauma in the Late 20th Century.”
The topic of the September 26 meeting is “Trauma's Topographies: Contemporary Points of View.” “The Black Hole of Trauma: Thanatos Revisited” will be presented by Dori Laub, “The Many Faces of Trauma” by Ira Brenner, and “Facing Differences: Skin Color and the Questions of Privilege and Trauma” by Kimberlyn Leary. Alan Bass will be the discussant.
On October 24, the film “Calling the Ghosts” will be shown and discussed by its director, Mandy Jacobson, and by Thomas Keenan and Alma Dzubur.
“On Trauma, Representation and Time” is the topic for November 21. Bessel van der Kolk and Saul Z. Cohen will speak on “Social and Biological Dimensions of the Compulsion to Forget and Repeat Trauma.” Cathy Caruth will speak on “The Claims of the Past.” Martin Blum will be the discussant.
On January 30, 1998, the topic will be “Documentation and Assessment.” The two presenters will be Robert Kirschner, speaking on “Forensic Documentation of Human Rights Abuses,” and Kathleen Alden, speaking on “Assessing Refugee Trauma.” Thomas Keenan will moderate and Donald Moss will discuss.
“Female Genital Mutilation” is the topic for February 27. “Female Genital Mutilation: The Counseling Needs of African Women in New York City” will be presented by Nahid Toubia and Lynne Stevens. Anna Burton will be the discussant.
The final meeting will be on March 27, and the topic will be “Trauma and Pain.” Cathy Busby will present “Where Does it Hurt?: Gathering and Archiving Understandings of Pain in Contemporary Art and Culture.” Barnaby Barratt will present “Sacrifical Moments and the Pleasure-Pain of Ritual Piercing: When is the Pleasure Principle Beside the Point?” Humphrey Morris will discuss the papers.
All meetings will take place Friday evenings, from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m., at the New School For Social Research, 65 Fifth Avenue, in New York City. For further information contact Donald Moss at 212-206-0344 (phone), 212-929-6326 (fax), or mossd26@hscbklyn.edu (e-mail).