Yesterday upon the stair
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today,
I wish I wish he’d go away     .

Hayes  Mead 1899
 

We are not masters in our own home. Freud 1917.

In 1985, I had published a paper entitled Frankenstein and Other Monsters.  In this
I took a very critical view of what might be called, destructive narcissism in those individuals
who brought distress or worse to those close to them. Echoes of the Gothic novels, Df Jekell and Mr Hyde among them.
In 1999 I had published “The Sane Madness of Vital Truth”, after reading the Fairy Story, The Shadow by Hans Christian Anderson.
In that paper I noted that in many endeavours, poetry among them, there was an emphasis on
 a special role for the Shadow in us all, if we aspire participation in the creative process.  The title
comes from Shakespeare’s Lear and I quote “Tormented into desperation, Lear the frantic King
tears off the masque and speaks the sane madness of Vital Truth'.
 

Here is an issue for discussion.  Is the destructive component present in each of us only manifest at the expense of our loved ones, or is a component of us all, a necessary shadow towards creativity.
 Do we really need to know, or is ignorance bliss?

Pre-reading provided. Piterman, H (2025) ‘Death to Democracy: Anti Semitism on the Rise’, Socioanalysis, 27 (55-65.

As war, populism, and antisemitism reshape the global landscape, what does it mean to be a citizen of the world? This personal paper explores the tensions between identity, belonging, morality, and survival in an increasingly polarised world. Reflecting on the enduring Jewish longing for security and homeland, alongside the painful history of Jews as relentless scapegoats in times of crisis, it considers the unsettling echoes of the 1930s in contemporary society.

Rather than offering simple answers, this session invites participants to engage with difficult questions about democracy, prejudice, and the resurgence of hatred in all its ugly forms -and why these challenges that bring collective and generational trauma matter not only for Jews, but for us all.

Dinner: 6.30 pm arrival for 7.00 pm start

In addition to enjoying general collegiality, there will be an opportunity to continue the conversation from the workshop sessions.

Venue

Upstairs at the Terminus Hotel

492 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill

Pricing

Workshop only is $20 for ISPSO Members and $50 for Non-Members

Workshop & Dinner is $75 for ISPSO Members and $95 for Non-Members

Dinner only is $75 for ISPSO Members and $85 for Non-Members

The Dinner is a 2 course, limited selection meal. Drinks and afternoon snacks are available to purchase at the bar.

Please register by COB Monday 10 August 2026.  

We ask that you don't register multiple people in one booking, as it creates administrative difficulties for us. 

Enquiries to Nuala or Rob

Nuala Dent, nuala@drawingon.au

Rob Ryan, wisdompluswork65@gmail.com