Interpreting The Self

A comprehensive work on the autobiographical tradition in Arabic letters, which includes a detailed introduction to the genre and a selection of autobiographical texts ranging from the 9th to the 19th centuries.

In this ambitious study, Diane Bjorklund explores the historical nature of self-narrative. Examining over 100 American autobiographers published in the last two centuries, she discusses not only well-known autobiographies such as Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie but also many obscure ones such as a traveling book peddler, a minstrel, a hotel proprietress, an itinerant preacher, a West Point cadet, and a hoopskirt wire manufacturer. Bjorklund draws on the colorful stories of these autobiographers to show how their historical epoch shapes their understandings of self. "A refreshingly welcome approach to this intriguing topic. . . . [Bjorklund's] extensive and systematic approach to her source material is impressive and enriches our understanding of this essential subject."—Virginia Quarterly Review "Bjorklund studies both famous and obscure writers, and her clear prose style and copious quotations provide insight into the many aspects of the changing American self." —Library Journal

Autobiography is a literary genre which Western scholarship has ascribed mostly to Europe and the West. Countering this assessment and presenting many little-known texts, this comprehensive work demonstrates the existence of a flourishing tradition in Arabic autobiography. Interpreting the Self discusses nearly one hundred Arabic autobiographical texts and presents thirteen selections in translation. The authors of these autobiographies represent an astonishing variety of geographical areas, occupations, and religious affiliations. This pioneering study explores the origins, historical development, and distinctive characteristics of autobiography in the Arabic tradition, drawing from texts written between the ninth and nineteenth centuries c.e. This volume consists of two parts: a general study rethinking the place of autobiography in the Arabic tradition, and the translated texts. Part one demonstrates that there are far more Arabic autobiographical texts than previously recognized by modern scholars and shows that these texts represent an established and—especially in the Middle Ages—well-known category of literary production. The thirteen translated texts in part two are drawn from the full one-thousand-year period covered by this survey and represent a variety of styles. Each text is preceded by a brief introduction guiding the reader to specific features in the text and providing general background information about the author. The volume also contains an annotated bibliography of 130 premodern Arabic autobiographical texts. In addition to presenting much little-known material, this volume revisits current understandings of autobiographical writing and helps create an important cross-cultural comparative framework for studying the genre.

The image of the tightrope walker illustrates the interpreter s balancing act. Compelled to move forward at a pace set by someone else, interpreters compensate for pressures and surges that might push them into the void. The author starts from the observation that conference interpreters tend to see survival as being their primary objective. It is interpreters awareness of the essentially face-threatening nature of the profession that naturally induces them to seek what the author calls dynamic equilibrium, a constantly evolving state in which problems are resolved in the interests of maintaining the integrity of the system as a whole. By taking as a starting point the more visible interventions interpreters make (comments on speed of delivery, on exchanges between the chair and the floor), the author is able to explore the interpreter s instinct for self-preservation in an inherently unstable environment. This volume is an insightful and refreshing account of interpreters behavior from the other side of the glass-fronted booth."

The use of drawings to discover emotions, attitudes, and personality traits not verbally stated by a client is a valuable and widely used technique in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. In this book, the author offers a highly practical introduction to the use and interpretation of projective drawings. Grounding his approach in self psychology, Dr. Leibowitz provides detailed information on how to interpret house, tree, man, woman, and animal drawings. By pairing clinical case examples with general interpretation guidelines, the book offers a thorough examination of projective drawings, making it a valuable text for beginners and an important reference source for the seasoned clinician. Interpreting Projective Drawings contains an impressive array of drawings, with over 175 total illustrations. Almost half of these drawings are from comprehensive case studies that follow adult patients from the beginning phase of treatment to their one-year (or more) status. These include over 30 chromatic illustrations that clearly demonstrate the importance of color in projective drawing interpretation. In addition to detailed information on how to interpret these five types of achromatic and chromatic drawings, the book also contains an appendix that offers examiner instructions, instructions for self-administration, and adjective lists to aid in interpretation. Together, these components make Interpreting Projective Drawings an essential resource for any mental health professional interested in using drawings to their fullest effect in their practice.

Analysis the contribution made by the UKCC to the development of the nursing profession in this country over the last thirty years. It details the key issues the council grappled with.