Author: artsmuklermd

Art Smukler, MD was born and raised in Philadelphia, went to college and medical school in Pennsylvania, and completed his psychiatric training at UCLA. He is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in the treatment of adults with a subspecialty in adolescents. As a member of the UCLA faculty, he ran an award-winning psychotherapy conference for psychiatric residents and received the coveted “Golden Ear” award. He has published in psychiatric journals, and won the award for excellence in creative writing at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Now a full-time author, he applies his deep understanding of the human psyche to the motivations of his fictional characters.

ARE WRITERS CRAZY TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF HOURS WRITING? By Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, Self Examination, Writing

Can a writer get money, fame, prestige, and power if his work is successful?

Sure, but how many Conroys, Salingers, or Twains will actually emerge from today’s millions of hungry scribes, and can those few produce characters like Tom Wingo, Holden Caulfield or Huck Finn?

Did you know that in the movie industry, writers are treated like an expendable commodity? The producers have the money and the power, and if one writer isn’t the right flavor they just toss their partially licked ice cream cone into the trash, reach into the pocket of their very-skinny Armani jeans, and buy another writer.

Since most of us are bright and determined, and know that spending thousands of hours writing is like adding a drop of water to the ocean, why do we indulge in this lunacy?

There’s something very special about sharing the stories that are miraculously transferred from our minds to the printed page. The act of creating is like giving birth to an alternative reality. It’s no wonder that attempting to edit our creation is often like Sophie’s Choice. We love all our babies, so choosing which to erase can be very difficult.

I just reread Catcher in the Rye for the fourth time. Even now, over sixty years after it was published, Holden is still able to touch my heart. He is the ultimate, naive anti-hero. Don’t give up, I scream silently, as I grip the worn pocketbook. Don’t let the world control you! Be brave! Don’t capitulate! DON’T EVER SELL OUT!

So are we crazy? Of course, but who cares…

If you enjoy being Inside the Mind of a Psychiatrist, you might also enjoy, The Man with a Microphone in his Ear, Chasing Backwards, a psychological murder mystery, and Skin Dance, a mystery. All are available as paperbacks and eBooks.

WHY DO WOMEN ACCEPT SHARIA LAW? by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view

To challenge centuries of religious teaching is very difficult. Since we have no substantiated alternative theory as to how life really began, all we have to go on is that there is a God and “he” started it all.

Accepting evolution doesn’t negate God. Even evolution can’t explain the first cell that became a molecule that EVOLVED into a human being. So what are we supposed to think?

Theory has it that maybe there was always “something”, that maybe that first cell didn’t need to be created, it was always there. But that’s not logical from the standpoint of how most of our minds work.

Europeans are more likely to be atheists, because they lived through the perils of World War II and god didn’t do much to help them or their loved ones. “He has his reasons”, just didn’t work when your wife or children were murdered by Nazis and your possessions were taken to supply the dwindling fascist coffers.

Since the easiest way to explain creation is by the existence of god, and for centuries, that’s been the explanation, questioning that truth engenders a lot of passionate feeling. Most evangelicals, whether Christian, Muslim or Jewish become extremely defensive when their beliefs are questioned.

But, it is only Muslim extremists who are willing to kill others if their doctrine is challenged.

Why aren’t moderate Muslims speaking out more? Why is there a general belief that Muslims are trying to inundate us with their strict religious concepts? Why do women accept Sharia law? It is a law that places men in charge of them, a law that allows the husband to have multiple wives, and a law that allows the husband to unilaterally divorce his wife. (Sharia law is quite inclusive of all aspects of life, and I’m just limiting my comments to a very small part of it.)

Why? Centuries of indoctrination and fear have created a belief that it is a sin to think differently. The word of God should never be questioned. The fear, in terms of Muslim women, is real. If you are a woman in Saudi Arabia, your life is in danger if you actually think for yourself and express those thoughts publicly.

But what about here in the US? Our country was founded on free thinkers. Let’s hear more from them. Not only will you be respected, you will be praised by those of us who believe in fairness, women’s rights, and democracy.

If you enjoy being Inside the Mind of a Psychiatrist, you might also enjoy, The Man with a Microphone in his Ear. On his 1st day of psychiatric training, a clueless resident is assigned to treat a dangerous paranoid man. It’s now available in paperback and as an eBook.

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