The Literary Mind

Life, literature, and politics, from the inside out.

Ilana Simons Ph.D.

Jordan Peterson: His Attractive Power

The psychologist who is changing the world.

Rats, Crowds, and Brain Loss

a video about crowds, rats, and brain damage

On Dreams and Artistic Ambition

We are most creative when we dream. How do we convert that fluidity to waking life?

Metaphors in Therapy

A short animated video about how words change us.

An Animated Video About Addiction

An animated video about addiction—about being stuck and changing

Psychologically Minded Novelist Haruki Murakami

A film about imaginative novelist Haruki Murakami

The Mustard Video

A video about my grandma's sense of precision and the mustard mess of artmaking

In Defense of Chewing Fat

A video in defense of small talk.

A Video About Small Talk

A short video about the value of small talk. Who needs it? Bleh. Bleh. Bleh.

Listening Is Music

A short video on the music of listening.

A Video about Ambiguity

A short video about well-used words, misused words, beautiful words.

On Being Alone

A short video about Orpheus, Eurydice, and being alone.

On Running

A short video about the joy of long distance running.

A Video about Vanity

A short video about the difference between caring for others and caring that others think you're caring for others

A Short Video About Female Competitiveness

This is a short video about female competition.

On Writing

A video about the writing process: isolation, editing, and falling in love

Why We Should (and Should Have) Run the Marathon

Why was The New York City Marathon cancelled? When doing what it does best, the city can hold more than one scene and emotion at its core. The marathon became a symbol for frivolity, but that sacrifice was a loss for the city.

Health Insurance: How it Works and How It'll Change

An interview with Geoffrey Steinberg, Psy.D., about how insurance policies affect therapy and are radically changing.

How Metaphors in Novels Relate to Empathy

Reading is practice in perspective taking. Understanding a metaphor is like practicing empathy.

You Can Not Escape Limitations in Talent

What a cruel thing talent is.  Some people have more than others do.  You work forever, and you’re still you.

The Origins of Language (and a Jump Rope)

I do not know much about the origins of language, but I imagine that in the first 30,000 years, from cave drawings to the beginning of script, realism was a moving target, the world words shot for, ever tightening their grip on the physical thing: to represent a cliff as a cliff; to tell a father that you wanted to meet him here, at this spot, later.

The Drama in the Chilean Mine

 There should be a genre in fiction that covers what happens when catastrophe hits. 

Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger." A Good Movie about Death.

Woody Allen wrote a great movie about our fear of death.  Why do critics insist on dismissing him?

Can The Internet Support or Even Inspire Political Revolution?

Do we need to be with friends to take real political risks, or can we Tweet ourselves to the revolution?

Painting Might Help You Find Flow

A state of flow is characterized by the following: sustained concentration, loss of self-consciousness, loss of sense of time, strong sense of control, sense of intrinsic reward, full absorption in the task itself, and positive emotion. Positive emotion is key: When you're in flow, you don't think too much.

Does Therapy Change You, or Do You Need a Lover Instead?

I am a therapist who goes to a therapist and spends most of her mental energy writing and thinking about therapy but also sometimes doubts that therapy is an efficient way to change people. It's likely that changing where you live or who your boss is or what job you're in would change you more radically and quicker.

We Drink and Write for Some of the Same Reasons

There are probably many reasons why writers tend to drink. Here are some possibilities: both encourage subversiveness; both are an alternative from dealing with the world on its own terms; both let you temporarily trust your voice with less judgment. They also grant some sense of control over the world or an ego boost--making your perspective seem correct and central.

Food TV Shows are a Bit Sadistic

Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, Mario Batali, Pat and Gina Neely, and Ina Garten--Food Network stars--are fat in a way that might, from time to time, depress them. They overeat, which is probably a complicated issue for each of them. But it's their job to sell a lifetime focus on food as a simple thing: bliss as simple as it gets.

A Therapist Should be a Good Storyteller

Sliced carrots slapped against the nurse's chest and a lunch tray clattered to the floor. The tall African American 22-year-old who I'm seeing in therapy, who I'll call Anthony here, was raging. "You ain't seen my hell. They hated Tupac. They hated Malcolm X. You ain't know f**k about me."

How Do You Define Self-Love?

What does it mean to be kind to yourself or "love yourself"? People say you should do it, but how?

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