Witnessing comes in as many forms as the trauma that gives birth to it. The Holocaust, undeniably one of the greatest traumatic events in recent human history, still resonates into the twenty-first century. The echoes that haunt those who survived continue to reach their children and others who did not share the experience directly. In what ways is this massive trauma processed and understood, both for survivors and future generations?
Key Features
- Power of Witnessing: Acknowledges trauma while sharing knowledge to build understanding.
- Diverse Forms of Expression: Includes testimonial writing, memoir, artwork, poetry, documentary, and theatre.
- Personal Narratives: Intimate stories that combine past and present, placing trauma in the realm of knowing and sharing.
- Contemporary Relevance: Extends the concept of witnessing from the Holocaust to modern instances of mass trauma.
- Psychoanalytic Applications: Proves efficacy in the dyadic relationship of everyday practice for both patient and analyst.
Additional Information
The answer, as deftly illustrated by Nancy Goodman and Marilyn Meyers, lies in the act of acknowledging trauma. Each chapter is a fusion of narrative and metaphor that serves as evidence of the living mind amid the dead spaces produced by mass trauma, creating a revelatory, transformational space for hope, courage, and endurance in the face of almost unspeakable evil.
Specifications
Contributors: Harriet Basseches, Elsa Blum, Bridget Conley-Zilkic, Paula Ellman, Susan Elmendorf, George Halasz, Geoffrey Hartman, Renee Hartman, Elaine Neumann Kulp-Shabad, Dori Laub, Clemens Loe.
