Exploring the Work of Donald Meltzer

Book excerpt: This book is a tribute to Donald Melzer's extraordinary contribution to psychoanalysis. It includes many of the papers given at the Tavistock Centre in London to celebrate Meltzer's 75th Birthday. Among the contributions, Margaret Rustin and Michael Rustin write on the work of Samuel Beckett; Gianna Williams elaborates upon Meltzer's thinking about the meeting of mother and baby; Didier Houzel discusses the aesthetic conflict and its connection with beauty and violence; and the Psychoanalytic Group of Barcelona describe their experience in working with Meltzer as a visiting supervisor. There are also several papers discussing the clinical relevance of Meltzer's thinking, particularly in work with children and adolescents.Apart from these papers, the book also contains a candid review by Meltzer of his own writing and thinking. This book provides a unique set of perspectives on his work and influence, and the sheer diversity of fields in which his thinking is now being used. It will surely be of continuing value to anyone interested in the state of psychoanalysis