Josh Cohen (psychoanalyst)

Josh Cohen (born 1970) is a British psychoanalyst, academic and author.[1] Between 1996 and 2024, he taught in the English department at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he was appointed Professor of Modern Literary Theory in 2010.[2] He was elected to Membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society in 2009, and to Fellowship in 2014.[3]

His essays have appeared in Granta,[4] Aeon (magazine),[5] The Yale Review[6] and 1843 (magazine).[7] He has written articles and reviews for The Guardian,[8] The Times Literary Supplement,[9] New Statesman[10] and Prospect (magazine).[11] He has published eight books and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[12]

Critical reception

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Reviews of Cohen’s books have been generally positive. His 2013 book The Private Life was praised for its writing and ideas by The Guardian,[13] The Daily Telegraph[14] and The Observer,[15] while The Independent was more critical, considering it at times ‘dry and protracted’.[16] Not Working (2019) received enthusiastic reviews from The Guardian,[17] The New Statesman,[18] Literary Review[19] and The Financial Times,[20] and a more mixed review from The Observer.[21] How to Live. What to Do (2021) was very positively reviewed by the TLS[22] and Kirkus Reviews,[23] while Publishers Weekly felt its discussion of literature was weakened by its favouring ‘overwhelmingly white, western authors’.[24]

Works

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Spectacular Allegories: Postmodern American Writing and the Politics of Seeing (Pluto Press,1998, 9780745312071)

Interrupting Auschwitz: Art, Religion, Philosophy, published by (Continuum, 2003, 9780826455512)

How to Read Freud, (Granta, 2005, 9781862077638)

The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark. (Granta, 2013, 9781847085290); American edition, The Private Life: Our Everyday Self in an Age of Intrusion (Counterpoint, 2014, 978161902497)

Lament (with Bettina von Zwehl, accompanying text to artbook produced by von Zwehl for her Freud Museum exhibition) (Art/ Books, 2017, 9781908970275)

Not Working: Why We Have to Stop  (Granta, 2019, 9781783782062)

How to Live. What to Do: In Search of Ourselves in Life an Literature (Ebury, 2021, 9781785039805)

Losers (Peninsula, 2021, 9781999922344)

All the Rage: Why Anger Drives the World (Granta, 2024, 9781783789450)

References

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  1. ^ Robson, Leo (2021-02-22). ""Can you imagine if you presented Freud to Jane Austen?": Josh Cohen on literature and psychoanalysis". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  2. ^ "Professor Josh Cohen". Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ "British Psychoanalytic Council". British Psychoanalytic Council. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  4. ^ "Lazy Boy". Granta. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  5. ^ "Anger is a state of agitated enervation that moves the world | Aeon Essays". Aeon. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  6. ^ "Josh Cohen: "The Mother's Rage"". The Yale Review. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  7. ^ "Is there more to burnout than working too hard?". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  8. ^ Cohen, Josh (2014-01-16). "François Hollande's privacy plea and our relentless spirit of self-display". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  9. ^ "Freud's Beyond the Pleasure Principle at 100 | Essay by Josh Cohen". TLS. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  10. ^ Cohen, Josh (2014-04-08). "Private parts: writers and the battle for our inner lives". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  11. ^ Cohen, Josh. "In the era of meritocracy, why are we so drawn to losers?". dlv.prospect.gcpp.io. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  12. ^ Creamer, Ella (2023-07-12). "Royal Society of Literature aims to broaden representation as it announces 62 new fellows". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  13. ^ Derbyshire, Jonathan (2013-11-21). "The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark by Josh Cohen – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  14. ^ "The Private Life, by Josh Cohen, review". The Telegraph. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  15. ^ Appignanesi, Lisa (2013-11-02). "The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark by Josh Cohen – review". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  16. ^ Sanai, Layla (15 November 2013). "Book review: The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark, By Josh Cohen". Independent.
  17. ^ Taylor, Barbara (2019-01-12). "Not Working by Josh Cohen - the benefits of idleness". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  18. ^ Moore, Suzanne (2019-01-30). "I don't want to work. What happens if we don't?". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  19. ^ "Oliver Eagleton - The Flâneur's Manifesto". Literary Review. 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  20. ^ "Subscribe to read". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  21. ^ Cooke, Rachel (2019-01-08). "Not Working: Why We Have to Stop by Josh Cohen – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  22. ^ "How to Live. What to Do. by Josh Cohen review: How might the lives of famous fictional characters help us to live ours?". TLS. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  23. ^ HOW TO LIVE. WHAT TO DO | Kirkus Reviews.
  24. ^ "How to Live. What to Do: In Search of Ourselves in Life and Literature by Josh Cohen". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.