Rendering Unconscious Podcast: Psychoanalysis, Art, Occulture, Politics

RU307: DRS WALTER "MAC" DAVIS & TODD MCGOWAN ON THE LAST CATHOLIC

Sep 5, 2024

Walter A. Davis, a Professor Emeritus and noted psychoanalyst, teams up with Todd McGowan, a film theorist, to discuss Davis's new novel 'The Last Catholic.' They explore the transition from academic writing to fiction, delving into creativity and identity. The conversation touches on the transformative power of literature, emphasizing critical reading and personal reflection. They also candidly share their struggles with faith, sexuality, and childhood experiences, linking personal growth to societal themes, ultimately advocating for intellectual and emotional emancipation.

01:17:49

Creator website

Episode guests

Todd McGowan

Walter A. Davis

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights the transformative journey of the protagonist as he reconnects with literature to explore unresolved philosophical and emotional truths.

Central themes include the conflict between religious dogma and personal identity, particularly around issues of sexuality and guilt.

Blending autobiographical elements with fiction allows for deeper psychological insights, addressing universal struggles associated with identity and societal constructs.

Deep dives

The Shift from Theory to Fiction

The speaker discusses the transition from writing theoretical and philosophical texts to creating a novel, expressing a desire to reconnect with a form of writing initially abandoned due to a lack of courage. This shift is framed as an exploration of deeply personal experiences that were inadequately addressed in previous works. The speaker reflects on a longstanding philosophical concern regarding the relationship between philosophy and poetry, indicating that the novel serves as a medium to grapple with this tension. By revisiting this creative avenue later in life, the speaker aims to understand complex emotions and ideas that remained unresolved during earlier academic endeavors.

Intro

5min

A Return to Creative Writing

9min

The Transformative Power of Literature and Thought

4min

Navigating Identity: Faith, Sexuality, and Literature

29min

Childhood Reflections and Personal Growth

26min

Wrapping Up: Exploring Further Resources and Reflections

4min

Exploring the Depths of Sexuality and the True Self

2min

RU307: WALTER DAVIS & TODD MCGOWAN ON THE LAST CATHOLIC http://www.renderingunconscious.org/psychoanalysis/ru307-walter-davis-todd-mcgowan-on-the-last-catholic/ Rendering Unconscious episode 307. Professor Emeritus Walter A. Davis, Ohio State University, is an actor and playwright, as well as psychoanalyst and theoretician. His many books include Art and Politics: Psychoanalysis, Ideology, Theatre (2007) and Inwardness and Existence: Subjectivity in/and Hegel, Heidegger, Marx, and Freud (1989). His newest book is The Last Catholic: A Novel (2024). https://amzn.to/4cS2Dxc Dr. Davis contributed a chapter on the film Persona to the collection Psychoanalytic Perspectives on the Films of Ingmar Bergman: From Freud to Lacan and Beyond (2023) edited by Vanessa Sinclair. https://amzn.to/4f7sgeO Professor Todd McGowan teaches theory and film at the University of Vermont. He is the author of many books, including Emancipation after Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution (2019) and The Impossible David Lynch (2007). His most recent book is Embracing Alienation: Why We Shouldn’t Try to Find Ourselves (2024). https://amzn.to/3zMztkf Watch this episode at YouTube: https://youtu.be/hHsYabmTDV0?si=0fOHrdgyTYFZeu2X Rendering Unconscious Podcast received the 2023 Gradiva Award for Digital Media from the National Association for the Advancement for Psychoanalysis (NAAP). https://naap.org/2023-gradiva-award-winners/ Support Rendering Unconscious Podcast: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl Substack: https://vanessa23carl.substack.com Make a Donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=PV3EVEFT95HGU&no_recurring=0¤cy_code=USD Your support of Rendering Unconscious Podcast is greatly appreciated! Rendering Unconscious is a labor of love put together by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair with no support from outside sources. All support comes from the listeners, colleagues, and fans. THANK YOU for your support! Rendering Unconscious is also a book series! The first two volumes are now available: Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives vols. 1 & 2 (Trapart Books, 2024). https://amzn.to/4eKruV5 Rendering Unconscious Podcast is hosted by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair, a psychoanalyst based in Sweden, who works with people internationally: http://www.drvanessasinclair.net Follow Dr. Vanessa Sinclair on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawsin_/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rawsin_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@renderingunconscious Visit the main website for more information and links to everything: http://www.renderingunconscious.org Many thanks to Carl Abrahamsson, who created the intro and outro music for Rendering Unconscious podcast. https://www.carlabrahamsson.com His publishing company is Trapart Books, Films and Editions. https://www.bygge.trapart.net Check out his indie record label Highbrow Lowlife at Bandcamp: https://highbrowlowlife.bandcamp.com Follow Carl at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaAbrahamsson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carl.abrahamsson/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carlabrahamsson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carlabrahamsson23 Substack: https://thefenriswolf.substack.com The song at the end of the episode is “Are you doing the work angelic?” by Vanessa Sinclair and Joachim Nordwall from the album “Message 23". Available at Highbrow Lowlife’s Bandcamp Page. https://vanessasinclair.bandcamp.com/album/message-23 Our music is also available at Spotify and other streaming services. https://open.spotify.com/album/1iTGKE13DnsBUNlfx85Xfc?si=RMN1Y9mcSXuAGUnAA9DkCw Image: collage by Vanessa Sinclair

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more