The prospect of the next conference taking place in Boston, USA is an excitement to look forward to and I call your attention to our President, James Gilligan’s call for papers. Please note the deadline for receipt of abstracts is 4th January 2000, so please send them as soon as possible. The coincidence of the conference taking place in the President’s home country is also fortuitous. Boston is renowned for its beauty, especially during April We hope that the meeting in the USA will open up membership of the IAFP to an even wider international spectrum of professionals working in this field.
In my role as editor of the newsletter, I bullied many of those at the conference for contributions. Unfortunately, many of them failed to deliver, especially those from outside the UK. Whilst we are therefore delighted with the current contributions, we regret that the newsletter does not have a truly international flavour, despite our best efforts. We are also sorely lacking in gossip in our personal column! Please can we have more contributions for the next edition! We are indeed lucky to have a very cheeky account of our summer party at the Groucho Club by Reinmar du Bois, who came over especially for the occasion. I hope our Christmas party on 17th December lives up to his expectations.
In this issue, we have published our former President Friedemann Pfafflin’s obituary of Murray Cox in this issue to keep his memory alive. We have not limited ourselves to reviewing books, but also film and television. In this country we have all been glued to the television on Thursday nights for the riveting account of the modernised mafia family "The Sopranos" with the most interesting interpretations relevant to the transferential processes taking place by a female psychotherapist (more of this by Ronnie Doctor and David Morgan in their enlightening and clarifying accounts of erotic transference and stalking). Our own psychoanalyst and film specialist, Cleo Van Velsen gives her account of "The Sopranos". In a darker mood, Lyn Greenwood provides a critically insightful review of "The War Zone". "Under the Skin" by Carine Adler and its screening at the Tricycle Theatre in London is portrayed by Deborah Marks (as you will notice, I have some involvement with the film!). Violence throughout this century is described by Stephen Blumethal. Even the effects of the internet on crime is described by Michael Sones.
The Sheffield conference is given a lively account by Pauline Souflas, followed by several papers and abstracts by contributors at the conference. Marsha Taylor gives us a preview of her new book and Reinmar Du Bois relives the summer party at the Groucho Club, attended by many IAFP members. Peter Gottlieb also writes a very interesting paper about his impressions of the forensic world he has come across during his travels.
It is extremely gratifying to read Dr Larteque Lawson’s account of his metamorphosis over the course of the Diploma in Forensic Psychotherapeutic Studies. Ann McKay links the aims of forensic psychotherapy to a new initiative in Britain which invests in poor families and children to combat the negative effects of poverty and social exclusion. I am extremely grateful to all the contributors and hope that you, the readers, will be inspired to contribute something of your own for the next issue.
I am extremely grateful to Pamela Kleinot for all her editorial activity and hard work on this issue – she has relieved me of a great deal of the responsibilities associated with the production of the newsletter and has nagged you all on my behalf! As usual, my thanks to Sarah Gordon for compiling the newsletter and all our congratulations to her and Dominic on their recent wedding. Incidentally, they met through the Diploma Course, so it is our 1st successful "blind date". The wedding was a stupendous event.
In order for this newsletter to be produced twice a year, as planned, we need the input of your contributions, so please send them to me as soon as possible.
I am very much looking forward to seeing you all in Boston.
Estela