Literary Clinic: What It Means to Be Human
a collection of psychological essays published in 2023
In Literary Clinic, I have used the writings of various Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Swedish, American, German, Russian and other writers to create a space where we can deal with our personal and collective wounds, as well as memory and history, in an empathetic, sympathetic and emotionally intellectual atmosphere, to think about our present and future, the environment and nature, the courage to live and love. I have thought, provided insight, and written with the goal of creating, through literature, a meeting of minds, a symbolic gravitational force that will pull people toward each other, create trust, give rise to understanding, an opening and symbolic rebirth that will give us the courage to ask – Who am I? What is a human being? And to leave us with the feeling that we are looked after.
Imbi Paju
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Reviews
“Literary Clinic has a therapeutic effect, while validating, reminding us of and predicting our belonging to the Western humanitarian space. Still now, and in the future.”
Eerik-Niiles Kross
- historian, author, diplomat and politician -
“It is enjoyable and inspirational to read how everything in this book so calmly and clearly flows toward a feeling of solidarity.”
Thomas Salumets
- Assoc. Prof. Emeritus, University of British Columbia, 2019 -
“The Literary Clinic compendium of essays deals with our era through works by various writers, analyzing human life and humankind while also taking a look inward, into oneself. Through these examples from literature, Paju creates spaces and bridges that deal with humankind on multiple levels: our personal scars, memory and history, current and future times, the environment, nature, war and peace. The work also reflects on how a person can find the courage to live and love in an environment of emotional wisdom.”
Outi Hytönen
- Finnish author, translator and literary critic -
"People of my generation, and particularly younger people, have a great lack of understanding about what “really” happened: the society of violence and perpetual fear in which people were forced to live. Even today, we collectively prefer to remain silent about certain things rather than to talk them through, because we presume the emergence of a great deal of pain. And hey, don’t we have enough pain in present times without rummaging around for it in the past? But Paju says, “Trauma is a time traveler. Unless we intervene, it moves invisibly into new generations.” (p. 61). Therefore, the author has decided to write a book that will stimulate people to deal with this underplayed personal and historical pain that has been pushed aside into darkness, because only by doing so can we hope for a more normal future in this world that is rushing ever more wildly toward dystopia."
Sveta Grigorjeva
- poet -
2023
[Literary Clinic]
Introduction
A quote by Imbi Paju
“I believe that anyone with a story to tell is responsible for what kind of today and tomorrow we create, as well as what kind of story we generate for ourselves and others; how we are creating ourselves and viewing other people.”
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Imbi Paju on kirjanik, esseist ja filmirežissöör. Ta on õppinud kultuuriteadusi, klassikalist laulu ja Helsingi Ülikoolis soome keelt ja sotsiaalteadusi.
Imbi Paju is a multifaceted creator, writer, documentary filmmaker and essayist. Her books have been published in many languages.
