Tag Archives: Pat Conroy

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

Posted on June 5, 2013 by

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, … Continue reading →

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Posted in CHASING BACKWARDS, a psychological murder mystery, Psychiatry, Self Examination, Skin Dance, a mystery, The Man with a Microphone in his Ear, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

BACK STORY — THE ENGINE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS, By Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

Posted on March 26, 2013 by

Remember how tasty and comforting it was to be breast fed? How you fought and yelled when you had to stop pooping in your diaper and had to use the potty? You don’t remember? No worries. 99.99 percent of us … Continue reading →

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Posted in CHASING BACKWARDS, a psychological murder mystery, Childhood Trauma, Psychiatry, Raising Children, Self Examination, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

THE CASE OF AN INCURABLE OBSESSION, by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

I just finished reading South of Broad, by Pat Conroy and A Drop of the Hardstuff, by Lawrence Block. Both books were terrific. I learned more about human nature and experienced how the characters dealt with the trauma of their … Continue reading →

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Posted in CHASING BACKWARDS, a psychological murder mystery, Psychiatry, Self Examination, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? by Art Smukler author and psychiatrist

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Dealing with an elephant in the room can be very challenging. Fear, guilt and political incorrectness, are the main reasons why we avoid pointing out what’s sitting right there in front of us. My father’s a violent drunk, and he’ll … Continue reading →

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Posted in CHASING BACKWARDS, a psychological murder mystery, Penn State, Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

WHY KILL A SAINT? MOTHERS AND AUTHORS, by Art Smukler MD

Posted on December 18, 2011 by

The saint I’m referring to is Theresa Belmont, my main character’s mother (In Chasing Backwards). The anger towards “the saint” is one of the novel’s driving forces. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about that anger, but most of the … Continue reading →

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Posted in CHASING BACKWARDS, a psychological murder mystery, Psychiatry, Self Examination, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments