PerformWorld & psychodrama?

Sat Mar 29 09:51:36 CDT 2008

One more point to make about Newman, Hotzman and company:
Their work, social therapeutic method, speaks most directly to women  
and men of color around the globe.  That says something to me worth  
noticing.

On Mar 29, 2008, at 10:34 AM, Edward Schreiber wrote:

> Hi Adam,
> I think your take on the group associated with Fred Newman is  
> accurate from my direct encounter with the group.  Lois Holzman is  
> a major theorist and writer and yes, much of the social therapeutic  
> approach is guided by Vygotsky, postmodernist thought. They are  
> unique in the sense that they are practitioners of a social  
> therapeutic approach within late-stage capitalism.  About the  
> cult:  that's what Moreno was called too, let's not forget.  At  
> this point I would say one of us extending our method to their  
> October conference might be a good idea.  Their work draws  
> activists, revolutionaries, thinkers, artists, creative people from  
> around the world.  What I have found MOST IMPRESSIVE about Fred and  
> Lois and their work is their dedication to practice and research  
> and who is drawn to their work.  In all of their work, the poor,  
> working class, internationally are the focus, or to whom the work  
> is most given, and valued.   So yes, I have had a change of heart,  
> from feeling it to be a cult to realizing that Fred and Lois (and a  
> former colleague Raphael Mendez, PHD with whom I've worked) are in  
> fact making a very significant contribution to the world that is a  
> changing.
>
> Ed
>
>
> On Mar 28, 2008, at 9:46 PM, Adam Blatner wrote:
>
>> Very interesting feedback. I've been struck with Newman's writings  
>> and the writings of Lois Holzman, a major part of that group. I  
>> didn't know about the Marxist angle. What struck me was that he  
>> calls upon some in-group intellectual appeals -- Vygotsky, a  
>> Russian psychologist who is alluded to by several people in  
>> different circles in education; -- and postmodernist thought.
>>       I have tried to find out from people involved exactly what  
>> they do, but have gotten a lot of postmodernis rationale.  
>> Actually, I am somewhat sympathetic with a moderate postmodernist  
>> approach and have written about it---but also postmodernism and  
>> other -ism's can get extreme and foolish---
>>    The problem was that there was all this rationale but an almost  
>> evasive avoidance in describing just what they do.
>>
>>       From what I can gather, they deal with alll interactions as  
>> if it were a performance. Great, if that's so, because that's kind  
>> of what i'm suggesting in, say, my chapter in Gershoni's 2003 book  
>> about using psychodrama in everyday life.
>>
>>       The problem with this approach---now that Bud has suggested  
>> that some folks find Newman's activities to be cult-like----a kind  
>> of name-calling I take with a grain of salt---but I do remember a  
>> lot of negative stuff arising out of noble ideology in the  
>> encounter group flare of the 1970s (and continuing, as I gather,  
>> in the work of these other pseudo-gurus in the UK and California....
>>
>>         ,,, it's this mixture of possibly good stuff mixed with  
>> stuff that makes me wary--- very interesting, and we'll see how it  
>> plays out.
>>
>>       Anyway, if y'all know anyone who'll be presenting or  
>> attending their early October conference, we'd sure like to hear  
>> about anyone who presents or attends the conference, or if you  
>> know anyone who can be articulate in responding to questions.   
>> Warmly, adam
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: BARNETT WEISS
>> To: Edward Schreiber ; Adam Blatner
>> Cc: list at grouptalkweb.org ; LipmanNYC1 at aol.com ; roberto cancel
>> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 3:09 PM
>> Subject: Re: PerformWorld & psychodrama?
>>
>> I note that Fred Newman is involved with these folks. I really  
>> don't trust Fred or his New Alliance Party at all. Here is an  
>> article that may seem a bit over the top and at the same time is  
>> consistent with my experience of Fred and those who work in  
>> association with him. I have known people who left the New  
>> Alliance Party and their Social Therapy groups who have some very  
>> grusome stories to tell. It is all about having been a victim or  
>> slave of the social culture in the capitalist world and now  
>> forming a revolution to turn it around
>> Nearly everyone I know in the African Diaspora group do not want  
>> to have anything to do with him or his group. http:// 
>> www.cultnews.com/?cat=129
>> That having been said, are you sure you want to have psychodrama  
>> associated with him in any way. This group allowing him to be a  
>> presenter has to know his politics and what goes on with his  
>> group. If they don't and are simply ignorantly giving him a venue  
>> to spew his often devisive messages, I for one do not want to be a  
>> part of it.
>>
>> A discussion was just had on this list about how some people abuse  
>> psychodrama and give it a bad name. If half of what I have been  
>> told by others coming out of the social therapy groups and New  
>> Alliance Party are true, they make the stories we have been  
>> processing seem like playing in a sand box.
>> Be well all, Bud
>>
>>
>>
>> Edward Schreiber <edwschreiber at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi Colleagues,
>> I do know this group of people. Â In fact I once had an association.
>> Some time ago, this Performing the World, came to our web site and  
>> I suggested no connection.
>>
>> But I think differently now.
>> These are a talented, dedicated, creative group of people.
>> Dedicated to transformation of the world, and represent a working  
>> class perspective in it all.
>> These are good people with an extraordinary degree of dedication.
>>
>> I have had a change of heart: Â Moreno's work belongs there.
>>
>> Ed Schreiber
>>
>>
>> On Mar 28, 2008, at 9:13 AM, Adam Blatner wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Colleagues,
>>> Â Â Â  Do any of you folks know about this group? Apparently they  
>>> overlap with our interests --- from what I can gather-- but it's  
>>> hard to know what exactly they do or what they're about.
>>> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  I've seen some of their books---heavy into the  
>>> postmodernist rationale, light on description---
>>> Â Â  But one is about drama in education and that feels closer to  
>>> spontaneity training in schools---I feel good about that---
>>> Â
>>> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  So though I can't afford to attend, perhaps  
>>> someone in the New York area knows someone who knows these people?
>>> Â
>
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