Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com

RU362: MIKITA BROTTMAN & MELISSA DAUM ON A PSYCHOANALYTIC EXPLORATION OF NAMES https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru362-mikita-brottman-and-melissa

Rendering Unconscious episode 362.

Rendering Unconscious welcomes Mikita Brottman and Melissa Daum to the podcast! They’re here to talk about their forthcoming paper “Nomen Est Omen: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of Names”.

On this episode, Melissa and Mikita discuss their psychoanalytic exploration of names, focusing on the depth and significance behind seemingly casual names. They share personal anecdotes, such as the story behind Mikita’s unique name and Melissa’s naming her son Isaac. They delve into the cultural and psychological aspects of naming, including the impact of inherited names, the ritual of naming, and the symbolic weight of names. They also touch on the challenges of changing names, the significance of names in different cultures, and evolving naming practices. Their conversation highlights the rich psychoanalytic potential in considering names.

Mikita Brottman is an author, literature professor and psychoanalyst. Her most recent books are: An Unexplained Death (Henry Holt, 2018), Couple Found Slain (Henry Holt, 2021) and Guilty Creatures (One Signal/Simon & Schuster, 2024). Be sure to also check out The Great Grisby (Harper Perennial, 2021).

Offering psychodynamic therapy in the heart of New York City’s West Village, Melissa Daum provides support for individuals grappling with anxiety, depression, creative blocks, relationship conflicts, and existential concerns. Visit Atrium Psychotherapy in the West Village, NYC.

News and updates:

Next event Saturday, October 4th! The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: Philosopher Simone Atenea Medina Polo presents "Tiresias as Patron Saint of Psychoanalysis" https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com/p/huge-thanks-to-everyone-who-attended

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All paid subscribers to RU Center for Psychoanalysis will automatically receive the ZOOM LINK and recording of the event, as well as the PDF of Simone’s chapter from The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge, 2025).

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See you there!