The Doctor is In

The Writer's Almanac, from which I draw inspiration and information for many posts, has a new image in its newsletter. Although it has been offered in audio format for some time, the Almanac has jumped on the "podcast" bandwagon. Sleepy ol' Garrison Keillor doesn't let the grass grow very long under his feet. Today he reminds us it is Sigmund Freud's birthday and notes:

... Freud had a tremendous impact on literature. It was after Freud's writings became widespread that novelists began to write fiction that took place entirely inside their characters' minds. His work also gave writers permission to start describing more frankly their characters' sexual desires.

Indeed, Freud was my first introduction to psychology and the notion of the unconscious part of our minds. In the middle 1950's, when I was around eleven or twelve years old, I acquired an old book about adolescent schizophrenia. Also, my father was an alcoholic, and I tried to understand his condition by reading everything I could find on the subject (including all A.A. pamphlets and its "Big Book".) The concept of the unconscious mind and how it affects behavior remains a force shaping any fiction I attempt. Happy Birthday, Dr. Freud, wherever you are! [podio]

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