APCS
Now that I managed to catch up and feel sort of back on track (my job does not take it well when I am away from my desk), I have a little time to reflect and write about my trip to the US.
I came back from the APCS energized and full of thoughts. Our panel on Almodovar had the right level of engagement and controversy and showing the film beforehand meant everyone was engaged and had something to contribute to. I took notes and had many thoughts, which will hopefully inform a developed paper, with the issue of cryptophores (bearers of secrets, Vita) fully explored. My remarks for the panel, though, can be found here.
The whole conference was congenial. I was particularly encouraged by the level of discussion between academics and clinicians, and between people from different disciplines but with a common interest in psychoanalysis. The visual definitely has a place in the conference, one that I hope will be explored more and more. As Martin Gliserman said, after all, we talk about a primal scene.
There are many things I learned and could talk about, but one, in particular, has stayed with me since and plays around in my head. It is a visual thought verbalised by Elio Frattaroli, in a panel on psychoanalytic wars entitled Pax Psychoanalytica: Analysis is like the Titanic and all the analyst can do is arrange deck chairs to get a better view of the iceberg. A beautiful twist on a deja-vu metaphor.
aaargh! arrange deck chairs! thanks for that optimistic note! At the moment I feel like one of the musicians in the band, making music as the ship goes down…
I don’t see it as a bad note. I find comfort in the fact that the iceberg is inevitable but one can see the crash in style, dressed in Chanel and Martini in hand. It kind of gave me energy to arrange the deck chairs in the most marvellous way. And listen to your music, of course.