For the most part, we process (“consume”) fiction, in its various forms, for divertisement. But fiction sometimes comes with a false bill of goods: that we will (somehow) learn (something) from it; we will walk away from the experience a better person. The promissory note is sometimes issued by the marketers of art. But it also figures in serious psychology of fiction. I have some cautions to add to this tale. And I would like to propose an exercise to help readers reflect on the transformational potential of fiction, and art more generally.

Continue reading Fiction About Fiction: Dangers and Missed Opportunities in Processing Stories

I remember reading an article a few years ago about Warren Buffett purchasing local newspapers. Buffett said that whereas large newspapers are under pressure, there will long be a viable need for community newspapers. I concur. Moreover, many communities, like mine, are fortunate to have excellent journalists working hard to cover stories that matter, or ought to matter, to them.

Continue reading A Student of Mind in a Community of Excellence