Volume 10 - Number 3 - December 2003
Pages: 75 - 158

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Brink, A. (2003). The editor responds [Letter to the Editor]. Clio’s Psyche, 10(3), 117-118.

https://doi.org/10.70763/15756c350dae3457b2718a29dc0018cb

The Editor Responds

letter to the editor
Keywords:

Andrew Brink, childrearing, David Beisel, “The Evolution of Childhood,” historian, Joe Dowling, letter to the editor, Lloyd deMause, Peter Petschauer, psychohistory, response from the editor

The Editor Responds:

As a historian, I use many different ideas, especially Lloyd’s on the history of childhood. Indeed, this semester all 135 of my students in four

Page 117

classes (two Western Civilizations, one Psychohistory, and one Childhood and Youth in History) have read and have been separately quizzed on deMause’s “The Evolution of Childhood.” I accept and use his central point on childrearing, as do Dave Beisel, Joe Dowling, Peter Petschauer, and other historians. Peter was inspired by “The Evolution of Childhood” and uses Lloyd’s materials appreciatively, but wishes Lloyd would be more open to other research and developments, as do I. Historians use different ideas, including Lloyd’s, and I do not appreciate Lloyd’s unflattering depictions of us and our work (I do not see why the work of historians should drive him to tears! (ELN, p. 108) However, we historians are interested in careful documentation as well as varied ideas.

Regarding your [unpublished] query about a symposium on Lloyd’s next book, Clio’s Psyche paid Lloyd a great compliment, at your behest, by making his book the basis of a symposium. We had never done this before. It will be up to our Editorial Board as to whether we will do it again for his next book or anyone else’s book.

Paul H. Elovitz

Franklin Lakes, NJ

Page 118

About the author

Paul H. Elovitz

Dr. Paul H. Elovitz, PhD, began organizing scholarly meetings when he started as a faculty member at Ramapo College and then as convener of the Institute for Psychohistory Saturday Workshops (1975-1982). In 1982, he founded the Psychohistory Forum to nurture psychohistorical research and continues to lead its Executive Council. In 1994, he created Clio’s Psyche (cliospsyche.org) to publish its scholarship, of which he is Editor-in-Chief. Prof. Elovitz is a historian, psychoanalytic researcher, and author of well over 400 publications, covering presidential psychobiography, teaching, documenting the field of psychohistory, and much more. After taking his doctoral degree in history, he trained and practiced as a psychoanalyst for three decades, and in 2019 was made the first Research Psychoanalyst by the New Jersey Institute for Psychoanalysis. Elovitz is the author of The Making of Psychohistory, editor of The Many Roads of the Builders of Psychohistory, and edited or wrote eight other books. He is a founding member and past president of the International Psychohistorical Association (1978-) who held all but one of its offices and continues to serve on its leadership council. He is the sole founder of the IPhA who has attended and presented at all of its annual meetings. In recent years, he has devoted himself to editing, publishing, and writing psychobiography.  Prof. Elovitz was a founding faculty member at Ramapo College who previously taught at Temple, Rutgers, and Fairleigh Dickinson universities. Aside from teaching Western and World Civilizations, his focus on teaching was on American, English, and European history; childhood; gender; genocide; the Holocaust; identity; leadership; psychobiography; psychohistory; the psychology of creativity and innovation; and war and peace. Presently, he teaches post-graduate courses on creativity, psychoanalysis, psychobiography, and other aspects of psychohistory online at psychoanalytic institutes. A Festschrift honoring him is scheduled for publication in Clio’s Psyche in 2024. He may be contacted at .

How to cite this article

Brink, A. (2003). The editor responds [Letter to the Editor]. Clio’s Psyche, 10(3), 117-118.

https://doi.org/10.70763/15756c350dae3457b2718a29dc0018cb

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