Autobiography is a literary genre which Western scholarship has ascribed mostly to Europe and the West. Countering this assessment and presenting many little-known texts, this comprehensive work demonstrates the existence of a flourishing tradition in Arabic autobiography. Interpreting the Self discusses nearly one hundred Arabic autobiographical texts and presents thirteen selections in translation. The authors of these autobiographies represent an astonishing variety of geographical areas, occupations, and religious affiliations. This pioneering study explores the origins, historical development, and distinctive characteristics of autobiography in the Arabic tradition, drawing from texts written between the ninth and nineteenth centuries c.e. This volume consists of two parts: a general study rethinking the place of autobiography in the Arabic tradition, and the translated texts. Part one demonstrates that there are far more Arabic autobiographical texts than previously recognized by modern scholars and shows that these texts represent an established and—especially in the Middle Ages—well-known category of literary production. The thirteen translated texts in part two are drawn from the full one-thousand-year period covered by this survey and represent a variety of styles. Each text is preceded by a brief introduction guiding the reader to specific features in the text and providing general background information about the author. The volume also contains an annotated bibliography of 130 premodern Arabic autobiographical texts. In addition to presenting much little-known material, this volume revisits current understandings of autobiographical writing and helps create an important cross-cultural comparative framework for studying the genre.

How do ways of explaining one's life vary over time? Although anthropologists have found intriguing cultural differences in how people interpret the self, there has been little extended work exploring historical variations. In this study, sociologist Diane Bjorklund remedies this gap by exploring the historical nature of self-narrative. Examining over 100 American autobiographies published in the last two centuries, she discusses not only well-known autobiographers such as Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie but also many obscure ones such as a traveling book peddler, a minstrel, a hotel proprietress, an itinerant preacher, a West Point cadet, and a hoopskirt wire manufacturer.

The use of drawings to discover emotions, attitudes, and personality traits not verbally stated by a client is a valuable and widely used technique in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. In this book, the author offers a highly practical introduction to the use and interpretation of projective drawings. Grounding his approach in self psychology, Dr. Leibowitz provides detailed information on how to interpret house, tree, man, woman, and animal drawings. By pairing clinical case examples with general interpretation guidelines, the book offers a thorough examination of projective drawings, making it a valuable text for beginners and an important reference source for the seasoned clinician. Interpreting Projective Drawings contains an impressive array of drawings, with over 175 total illustrations. Almost half of these drawings are from comprehensive case studies that follow adult patients from the beginning phase of treatment to their one-year (or more) status. These include over 30 chromatic illustrations that clearly demonstrate the importance of color in projective drawing interpretation. In addition to detailed information on how to interpret these five types of achromatic and chromatic drawings, the book also contains an appendix that offers examiner instructions, instructions for self-administration, and adjective lists to aid in interpretation. Together, these components make Interpreting Projective Drawings an essential resource for any mental health professional interested in using drawings to their fullest effect in their practice.

projects, and an extensive bibliography. --Book Jacket.