In this engaging discussion, Roberta Satow, a seasoned psychoanalyst and author, delves into her novel, 'Our Time Is Up.' She skillfully navigates the tension between patient and analyst, revealing how her protagonist, Rose, embodies both roles. The conversation highlights the complexities of transference, the importance of intimacy in therapy, and the creative process behind blending autobiographical elements with fiction. Satow also reflects on how personal experiences and emotions shape therapeutic dynamics, sparking a rich dialogue on regret, guilt, and connection.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Book's Genesis
Roberta Satow's journey towards writing "Our Time Is Up" began after her first non-academic book.
Her initial attempt was paused due to agent feedback, leading her to another novel before returning.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rose's Journey
The novel's protagonist, Rose, begins analysis after college, mirroring Satow's experience.
The story follows Rose's evolution from patient to analyst, with a fictionalized twist in her relationship with her analyst.
insights INSIGHT
Patient Diversity
Rose's three patients in the novel represent diverse personalities and transferences.
Satow intentionally chose them to illustrate the range of analytic relationships.
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Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Roberta Satow about her new book Our Time Is Up (Ipbooks, 2024).
In 1895 Freud noticed that his case histories “read like short stories and that, as one might say, they lack the serious stamp of science.” What Dr. Satow has written works in the other direction; a novel that reads like case histories. She has accomplished the difficult task of representing what it feels like on both sides of the couch as her protagonist Rose is first a patient and then an analyst. This allows Satow to introduce multiple patients, each with resonant and recognizable temperaments. As a reader these characters present us with experiences of transference, counter transference, and the intimacy afforded by both. Intimacy is the affect running through the book.
While much of Rose’s story is autobiographical, Satow the writer knew she needed a plot and gave herself license to invent the final chapter of Rose’s relationship with her analyst. This part of the story satisfies a fantasy many patients have in relation to their analyst. It is pure wish fulfilment.
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