Buffalo Mountain Writers Workshop to host Neil Isaacs Tuesday evening

Buffalo Mountain in Johnson City, Tennessee

Dr. Jack Higgs at ETSU asked me to publicize this Tuesday evening writers event. Jack is leading the Buffalo Mountain Writers workshop that I’ve been taking for the past week. It has been a terrific, creative experience for me as I contemplate more in-depth writing about my recent PR experiences in the political arena. The workshop sessions end today and culminate with this guest speaker Tuesday evening. The information below comes from ETSU.

Dr. Neil Isaacs, Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, retired psychotherapist, and prolific author, will speak at the final session of the Buffalo Mountain Writer’s Workshop on June 15th at 7:30. Isaacs will discuss Valuing, or coherence in writing. Isaacs has contributed commentary on sports and other matters to the Washington Post, BostonGlobe, Baltimore Sun, Washington Star, SportsFan Magazine, Washingtonian, Harvard Magazine, et.al. He has written more than twenty books on subjects ranging from Old and Middle English to Southern and Modern American Literature, as well as on gambling, contemporary sports (All the Moves: A History of U.S. College Basketball andChecking Back, History of the NHL), Tolkein, and various films. His two most recent books,The Doaker’s Story (novel) and The Package and the Baggage: Help for Couples and their Counselors (Clinical Study), illustrate the approaches and themes of the workshop.

This presentation is open to the public and will be followed by a reception and book signing at Brown Hall Auditorium.

Subtitled “Help for Couples and Their Counselors,” this book offers a guide for couples who are experiencing or anticipate the possibility of difficulties at any stage in their relationship.

This is a book about and for couples, a guide to ways of achieving successful coupling. Implicit in its presentation is the notion that a happy couple is the best foundation for a happy family. It is written with two overlapping audiences in mind. The primary audience consists of couples who are interested in examining and perhaps relieving difficulties in their relationships, whether or not they are considering therapy. The secondary audience is the growing cohort of mental health professionals who work with troubled couples. The Package and the Baggage occupies a middle ground between pop-psych lingo that aims for a lowest common denominator on the one hand and academic/professional discourse (with its inevitable reliance on jargon and doctrinaire methodology/modality) on the other.

Endorsements

“Dr. Isaacs has fashioned an outstanding account of the process and content of marital counseling. His trenchant analyses of a wide variety of cases from his practice are accompanied by keenly selected and often hilarious cartoons illustrating the points he makes. A highly valuable read for both practitioners and couples considering use of their services.” Edward J. Jordan, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist.

“This is a wise and good-natured book, replete with stories of people struggling to make sense of their closest relationships. It should be required reading for all marriage therapists and the couples they serve.” Gordon Livingston, M.D., author of Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

“Neil Isaacs’s new book, The Package and the Baggage, is a literate, readable and practical treatise on working with couples in therapy. Dr. Isaacs’s use of humor and straight talk gives the reader insight into how relationships work and how to work with relationships.” Linda Schwartz, LCSW-C

“The trademark clarity of Neil Isaacs’s writing is apparent throughout his new book, whether he is narrating and analyzing exemplary case histories or discussing novel concepts of coupling and couples counseling. The Package and the Baggage shows the author’s thoroughly professional comfort and skill at couples therapy, a well-integrated ethical sense, and clear communication of wisdom. These qualities cohere in a valuable addition to any mental health professional’s library–and it is also fun to read. It even features a skillful use of cartoons drawn from various sources. Who says serious learning can’t be fun?” Paul Ephross, Psychotherapist, LCSW-C, Professor Emeritus, Social Work, University of Maryland at Baltimore