Emily Bilman Livres

The book delves into the interplay between narcissistic trauma and psychoanalytic symbolism in poetry, analyzing themes such as the primal scene and Oedipal conflict through the works of T.S. Eliot, Paul Valéry, and the author's own poetry. It highlights the parallels between poetic creation and children's therapeutic play, emphasizing the use of combined personae as a defense against castration anxiety. The exploration of "virtuality" in poetry addresses ambivalence and life crises, while drawing connections between the processes of poetry writing and psychoanalysis, including concepts like "negative narcissism."

The book explores the theme of resilience through powerful metaphors and vivid imagery, illustrating how individuals can overcome trauma and evolve spiritually. It draws parallels to the modern Faust, emphasizing the need to transcend evil impulses to achieve personal growth. The poems reflect the poet's journey through isolation and solitude, ultimately offering readers a path to existential resilience and personal transformation. Through this work, readers are invited to engage in their own metamorphosis, gaining deeper insights into their experiences.

Exploring the profound connection between personal experiences and the sea, this work delves into themes of ocean conservation and environmental change. It raises critical questions about the impact of human activity on marine ecosystems and the importance of restoration efforts. Through a blend of childhood memories and reflections on maturity, the narrative emphasizes the urgency of addressing the challenges facing our oceans.

I wrote about dreaming during the pandemic which brings us back to our childhood memories and wishes because we were confined. We dreamed a lot more and more vividly.

In these poems, the writer explores the deepest and most mysterious aspects of herself and we, the readers, are assisted in our own self-explorations.

The Threshold of Broken Waters is a memoir in verse that highlights the life- changing influence of significant events in which pregnancy and birthing are presented as metaphors for poetry writing. The book is based on the sublimation of the mnemonic traces that sustain growth.

Modern Ekphrasis delves into the connections between modern poetry and painting, tracing the evolution of ekphrasis from Horace’s mimetic tradition to Lessing’s spatial/temporal dichotomy and its post-modern deconstruction by Derrida. The book presents detailed analyses of modern poems by Howard Nemerov, W. C. Williams, Sylvia Plath, and John Ashbery, primarily inspired by the works of Paul Klee, Charles Demuth, Giorgio de Chirico, and Frank Stella. An innovative approach is taken by applying Anton Ehrenzweig’s concept of "unconscious scanning" to visualize Klee’s Mountain Flora, enhancing its verisimilitude through a unique depth perception that merges figure and background. The self-reflexivity of the poems, which reflect on their creative processes, is examined alongside the interplay of ekphrasis and cognition, drawing on the insights of Freud, Panofsky, Gombrich, and others, as well as recent neuroscientific findings. The book illustrates how Homer’s shield, Swift’s tree, Williams’ pot of flowers, and Ashbery’s canvas create a cohesive experience within ekphrastic poetry. It highlights the evolution of literature and the humanities from classicism to post-modernism, addressing the self-alienation fostered by modern communication technologies and proposing new socio-artistic connections and identities.