Adam Blatner

Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog—this is a new toy that my son set up for me. (He’s quite knowledgeable about computer stuff—you can google him (David Blatner) and come up with scores of thousands of hits!)

When I was young, my cultural tradition was to have your kids in some ways make more progress that you did, finish school, maybe even go to college. The first generation over from the Old Country—if you could make a living and set your kids up so they could do well in business, this was a success. In the 1920s through the 1940s and beyond, there were still quotas in professional schools that limited the number of Jews who could attend. The 2nd generation, though, wanted their kids to do even better: “Mine son the doctor” was a kind of comic cliche. Lawyer was good, dentist and CPA, pretty good. Such were the status hierarchies in this immigrant group in that historical 1940s – 1950s era. (What have they been for the Asian-Americans in the last six decades—and for other immigration groups?)

So now—although I’m sort of a third-generation mind, culturally—though in fact I’m a 2nd generation actually— and I’m the doctor, my son can’t trump that so easily, so he’s gone into a field that I couldn’t anticipate! Who knew there would be such a thing? But I’m proud, now, because he gets more hits than I do on Google. Is that a success? (What will it be the status symbols for his sons—my grandsons—, in twenty years of continued postmodernist acceleration of change?

Anyway, what you’ll find here are reflections in many fields: Mainly, I’m into contemporary philosophy, consciousness transformation (what is that?), trends in psychology, helping to make these concepts mainstream; I’m interested a little in esoteric subjects such as kabbalah, but that interest goes up and down. I want to see Whitehead’s and Hartshorne’s “process philosophy” appreciated more.

I have continuing interest in some old professional fields—psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychodrama (therapeutic role playing), social psychology, etc.—mainly as they speak to how can psychology be applied today, and not just by professionals. I want to see the best insights harvested and used in everyday life.

Imagination and playfulness is another dimension I want to see woven in, and I engage in my own larks and foolin’ around. Cartooning is a sub-interest and you may see some of those in time. Speaking to other forms of expression—singing, dancing, especially as they are made accessible to ordinary people and made free of the demand to “do it right” or “do it well”— this is another thing I want to see blossom in the world.

So you’ll see some of these themes addressed. Mainly, I hope you’ll use this blog as a springboard to check out or browse among my other websites: There I have longer papers, essays, that address in greater depth various themes we touch on in these pages.
The website: www.interactiveimprov.com Speaks to the cutting edge of how drama may be used to make our communications more effective and holistically authentic. Mere discussion is better than flinging accusations or spouting opinions, but we can do even better, we can encounter and explore ideas and differences with a view to coming up with creative syntheses and alternatives.
The website www.blatner.com/adam/ Has lots of my other stuff. Browse and skim around. I’ll be revising these over time, too.

How to Get the Most out of a Blog: I don’t know yet. Invite discussions?

10 Responses to “Welcome to My Blog”

  • Roy Reynolds says:

    Hi Adam!
    I’ve been thinking about you in the past few days, and in fact, Matthew Bushell and I have mentioned you in an email chat. I thought I’d check in to see if you have reflected further about NI and wound like to re-enter dialogue, at least with me for a time.

    There have been some fine additions to the NI dialogue and explications since you last visited. There is now a wikiversity site, and there have been some helpful new conversations. Also, Alan has come up with some new ways to communicate about NI.

    Please don’t read me as “pushing you.” It’s just an invitational reach-out to see if you might want to reengage in the dialogue by trying on some new lenses. I am contacting you especially because you’ve been on my mind lately.

    I hope all is going with with you and your.

    Warmly,
    Roy
    770-375-8417

  • delma says:

    hello adam , loved your article especially the effect of social isolation and health. This reminds me of Candice Perts Moleculesof emotion. I would love to see your articles under a more eyecatching heading like want to feel good or something that would attract attention , as this is too good not to be seen.

  • olive jasper says:

    Might you know how one can get in touch with James M. Sacks who used to be at the Moreno Institute? Thank You.

  • Ira Slotkin says:

    And in that moment there’ll be a bridge
    Of music that will band us;
    I’ll smile and softly sing the song,
    And you’ll hear me in Oz or Kansas

    I Adam _ That just happened. I wandered back to those song parties and thought of you and Allie and your cat…I hope you heard me….
    Ira

  • Claudia C. says:

    Claudia White here, now Cadwell, [maiden name].
    I know you, from many years gone by, even danced the hora at your wedding to Barbara in L.A.
    Remember UC Berkeley’s Cloyne Court and Peter White? Pete was my husband for seventeen years; we had two children, lived in the Claremont area of Berkeley all of our time together.
    We are now divorced, but remain in constant contact.
    We knew you as “Howie.”
    Pleased to see you happy and well.
    Fond regards,
    Claudia

  • Pat Potts says:

    Hi, Adam!

    I started attending AIFD again recently discovered that and Allie had moved! I’m so sorry that I missed saying farewell. Please feel free to email me when you have the time.

    I had to do Ada’s Kujawiak with someone else!! It wasn’t near as much fun.

    Pat. Potts

  • Ruth Keenan-Evans says:

    Dr. Blatner, my husband and I just found your blogs during our daily search for intelligence online. How refreshing to find you. We are students of the qabalah and have been working with Phi, Fibonacci as well as other Eastern and Western mysteries for several decades. Is there any means to contact you other than the public forum of your blogs?

  • Dear Adam,
    Shalom from Sydney!
    Hope you’re well.
    Adam, I always remember you with great appreciation and respect. I remember how you strongly encouraged me to write, back 30 years ago. I’m a very slow learner or listener, BUT now in my older age, I started writing. and right now, I was citing you and I decided to be in touch with you.
    I’d like to be in touch with you, i believe you’d be of great help for me.
    I’m writing on the neuroscience of Expressive Therapies, especially Psychodrama and Play of Life.
    Please let me know if we could be in touch, and ideally have a chat via SKYPE.

    all the best

    Carlos

  • Steve Stelle says:

    Dear Howard (Adam)
    I served with you at the 48th TAC hospital in Lakenheath, England. You knew me as Staff Sergeant Steve Stelle. You influenced me greatly with your keen insights into behavior and your enduring sense of humor. In civilian life I obtained my Masters in Counseling and worked for many years as a clinician and also as a special Ed teacher for behaviorally challenged middle schoolers. I also worked as a main stream 4th grade teacher. I see you are quite the expert in psychodrama. Very interesting stuff. I was influenced by NLP and did a lot of reframing exercises with my students.
    I had stumbled on an obituary on the internet for Col. Frank Hayes who passed in 2019. It made me recall the old days in England. Do you ever hear from Mike Mandel?
    Anyway, I am just reaching out to say hello. Wonderful to read about your successful career. My wife of 40 years,Terry (also a retired teacher) are enjoying our retirement in Oregon.


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