The ninety-first annual meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association will be held in Philadelphia, Penn., from Wednesday, May 15, through Sunday, May 19, 2002. The meeting begins with a discussion groups that touch on technical and theoretical aspects of psychoanalysis, as well as the applications of analysis to broader cultural areas.
On Wednesday morning and afternoon David Orbison chairs a senior analyst presentation, with Carolyn Cates Kovel as presenter. Two two-day clinical workshops on process and technique begin on Wednesday afternoon, one chaired by Peter Fonagy and the other by James Herzog.
On Thursday morning there is an oral history workshop on “The Re-unification of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society,” chaired by Ira Brenner. Thursday afternoon there will be a forum on “Analytic Identity” and a course chaired by Leo Rangell: “On Theory or Many? One.”
Friday morning features a business meeting. In the afternoon, the first panel begins: “The Ever-Available Analyst,” chaired by Arnold Goldberg, with contributions from Adrienne Applegarth, Barbara Fajardo, Arnold Rothstein, and Estelle Shane. Sharone Ornstein will be the reporter. Paul Ornstein gives the plenary address on Friday: “Reflections on My Search for the ‘Elusive’ Concept of the Psychoanalytic Process.” Robert Michels will introduce Paul Ornstein, with Newell Fischer, in his new role as president, serving as chair.
Saturday morning features the second panel, “Life Changes, Analytic Changes Revisited: Current Perspectives on Their Relationship,” chaired by Theodore Jacobs, with contributions from Judith Kantrowitz, Sydney Pulver, and Herbert Schlesinger. Robert Michels will be the discussant and Jonathan Easton the reporter. Panel number three, “Is Free Association Still Fundamental?” on Saturday afternoon, will be chaired by Axel Hoffer, with presentations by Lucy LaFarge and Alan Skolnikoff, and discussions by Peter Fonagy and Anton Kris. Virginia A. McDermott will be the reporter. Also on Saturday afternoon, Dale Boesky will chair the “Meet the Author” session on Melting the Darkness by Warren Poland. Maurice Apprey and Lee Grossman are the discussants.
Sunday, May 19, offers the fourth panel, “Problems in Psychoanalytic Education: A Roundtable Discussion with Audience Participation,” chaired by Daniel Jacobs. Thomas Bartlett, Helen Meyers, Dolan Power, and Alan Skolnikoff are the panelists, with Mary San Martino as reporter. As part of the Program Committee's commitment to exploring new formats, there will be no formal papers or discussants.
Philadelphia in the springtime is one of the most beautiful cities in America, called by many the most European of the American cities. It offers a wide variety of cultural venues including a brand new concert hall and a lovely art museum. Within driving distance is the Barnes Foundation, perhaps the best private collection of impressionistic art in the United States. Philadelphia also is home to numerous historical sites: where the Declaration of Independence was written, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the site of the founding of Pennsylvania. For people interested in sports, Philadelphia is the home of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, the Philadelphia Eagles football team, and the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. There are numerous excellent restaurants of all types. This wealth of cultural opportunities, combined with the meeting's intellectual challenges, make a trip to Philadelphia almost a necessity this spring.