This book, written by sisters Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, delves into the specific challenges women encounter with burnout. It provides a comprehensive, science-based approach to reducing stress and enhancing well-being. The authors define burnout as a combination of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of accomplishment, and they offer practical solutions such as completing the biological stress cycle, managing emotional triggers, and overcoming societal pressures. The book is divided into sections that explain the stress cycle, the impact of cultural norms on women's stress levels, and strategies for rest, human connection, and self-compassion. It includes helpful worksheets and exercises to empower women to combat burnout and achieve genuine wellness[1][3][5].
Angels in America is a dramatic work that delves into the lives of several characters during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The play is divided into two parts: 'Millennium Approaches' and 'Perestroika'. It follows characters such as Prior Walter, a man living with AIDS; Louis Ironson, his partner who abandons him; Joe Pitt, a closeted Mormon and conservative; and Roy Cohn, a fictionalized version of the real-life conservative lawyer. The play explores themes of identity, politics, religion, and the human condition, blending realism and fantasy. It is known for its powerful and poignant portrayal of the era and its impact on various communities[2][4][5].
In this groundbreaking work, Judith Lewis Herman places individual experiences of trauma within a political frame, drawing parallels between private horrors like child abuse and public horrors like war. The book details a three-stage sequence of trauma treatment and recovery: establishing safety, working through the trauma, and reconnecting with oneself and the world. Herman emphasizes the importance of community in healing and the need for a secure base for recovery. The book includes a new epilogue assessing changes in understanding and treating trauma over the last three decades.
Jacqueline Rose's "Virginia Woolf and the Death of Modernism" offers a psychoanalytic reading of Virginia Woolf's work, exploring themes of loss, mourning, and the complexities of modern life. Rose connects Woolf's writing to Freud's theories, particularly his essay "Mourning and Melancholia." The book examines how Woolf's novels grapple with the psychological impact of trauma and societal changes. Rose analyzes Woolf's innovative literary techniques and their relationship to her psychological insights. The book is a significant contribution to both literary criticism and psychoanalytic studies.
Namwali Serpell's "The Furrows" is a novel that delves into themes of grief, memory, and the complexities of human relationships. The narrative explores the emotional aftermath of loss and its impact on individuals and communities. Serpell's writing style is characterized by its lyrical prose and intricate storytelling. The novel examines how the past shapes the present and the ways in which individuals grapple with unresolved trauma. "The Furrows" is a powerful and moving exploration of the human condition.
Sigmund Freud's "Mourning and Melancholia" explores the psychological processes of grief and depression. Freud differentiates between normal mourning, a process of detaching from a lost object, and melancholia, a more pathological state characterized by self-reproach and a loss of interest in the world. The essay examines the role of the libido, the psychic energy driving desires and attachments, in both processes. Freud analyzes how the ego deals with loss and the potential for fixation and regression in melancholia. The essay remains influential in psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice, offering insights into the complexities of grief and its impact on the self.
Freud's "On Transience" is a short essay exploring the human experience of confronting the ephemeral nature of beauty and existence. It reflects on the poet's sadness in the face of transience and contrasts this with a more resilient perspective. The essay touches upon themes of loss, acceptance, and the human capacity for renewal. It's considered a lesser-known work compared to his major theoretical texts but offers insights into his thinking on mortality and emotional resilience. The essay's brevity makes it a concise yet thought-provoking exploration of human experience.
Abby and Patrick welcome labor journalist Sarah Jaffe – author of Necessary Trouble and Work Won’t Love You Back – for her first interview about her forthcoming book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire. From the Ashes is at once a deeply personal narrative and a wide-ranging journey of searing reportage on the lives and struggles of individuals and communities. Sarah, Abby, and Patrick take on the overdeterminations of loss, grief, mourning, and memorialization from contemporary political discourse to Freud’s classic “Mourning and Melancholia.” In what ways can individual experiences of grief be fundamentally singular and yet also sites of collective solidarity and social transformation? What are the norms, narratives, and timelines that get imposed on expressions of psychic pain in the wake of loss, from the DSM to Human Resources to newspaper headlines? How does the experience of loss differ when the lost object in question isn’t necessarily a person, but a place, an ideal, intergenerational links, or expectations for a now-foreclosed future instead?
Details about From the Ashes are here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sarah-jaffe/from-the-ashes/9781541703490/ and the book is available for preorder here: https://hachettebookgroup.formstack.com/forms/fromtheashes (use code FTA20 for 20% off, plus bonus content)
Sarah’s website is here: https://sarahljaffe.com/
Key texts cited in the episode:
Freud, “Mourning and Melancholia”
Freud, “On Transience”
Jacqueline Rose, “Virginia Woolf and the Death of Modernism”
Namwali Serpell, The Furrows
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