Mikita Brottman
Encyclopedia
Mikita Brottman is a British scholar, psychoanalyst, author and cultural critic
known for her psychological readings of the dark and pathological elements of contemporary culture. She received a D.Phil in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, was a Visiting Professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University
, and was Chair of the program in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology
at the Pacifica Graduate Institute
from 2008 to 2010. She currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art
. Brottman's articles and case studies have appeared in Film Quarterly
, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, New Literary History
, and American Imago
. She has written influentially on horror films, critical theory, reading, psychoanalysis, and the work of the American folklorist, Gershon Legman
.
Brottman also writes for mainstream and counterculture journals and magazines. Her work has appeared in such diverse venues as The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post
, The Chronicle of Higher Education
, Bad Subjects
, The Fortean Times, Headpress, and Popmatters
, where her column, "Sub Rosa", ran from January 2007 to July 2009. Her essays have also appeared in a number of books and anthologies.
She is the author of the cult film books Meat is Murder
and Hollywood Hex
, as well as books on psychoanalysis, critical theory and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent book, The Solitary Vice: Against Reading (Counterpoint, 2008) was selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly
, who said: "Sharp, whimsical and impassioned, Brottman's look at the pleasures and perils of compulsive reading is itself compulsively readable and will connect with any book lover."
Brottman's partner is the film critic David Sterritt
.
Cultural critic
A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture, usually as a whole and typically on a radical basis. There is significant overlap with social and cultural theory.-Terminology:...
known for her psychological readings of the dark and pathological elements of contemporary culture. She received a D.Phil in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, was a Visiting Professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, and was Chair of the program in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology
Depth psychology
Historically, depth psychology, from a German term , was coined by Eugen Bleuler to refer to psychoanalytic approaches to therapy and research that take the unconscious into account. The term has come to refer to the ongoing development of theories and therapies pioneered by Pierre Janet, William...
at the Pacifica Graduate Institute
Pacifica Graduate Institute
Pacifica Graduate Institute is an accredited, for-profit American graduate school with two campuses near Santa Barbara, California. The institute offers master's and doctoral degrees in the fields of psychology, mythological studies, and the humanities....
from 2008 to 2010. She currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art is an art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the first and oldest art colleges in the United States. In 2008, MICA was ranked #2 in the nation...
. Brottman's articles and case studies have appeared in Film Quarterly
Film Quarterly
Film Quarterly is a film journal published by University of California Press, in Berkeley, California, United States. It was first published in 1945 as Hollywood Quarterly, was renamed The Quarterly of Film Radio and Television in 1951, and received its current title in 1958...
, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, New Literary History
New Literary History
New Literary History: A Journal of Theory & Interpretation is an academic journal founded at the University of Virginia where it is still edited, and published by Johns Hopkins University Press. New Literary History focuses on the history and theory of literature, and key questions of interpretation...
, and American Imago
American Imago
American Imago is an academic journal established in 1939 by Sigmund Freud and Hanns Sachs. It seeks to explore the role of psychoanalysis in contemporary cultural, literary, and social theory, while also considering issues related to anthropology, philosophy, politics, history, art history,...
. She has written influentially on horror films, critical theory, reading, psychoanalysis, and the work of the American folklorist, Gershon Legman
Gershon Legman
Gershon Legman was an American cultural critic and folklorist.-Life and work:Legman was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Emil and Julia Friedman Legman, both of Hungarian/Romanian Jewish descent; his father was a railroad clerk and butcher...
.
Brottman also writes for mainstream and counterculture journals and magazines. Her work has appeared in such diverse venues as The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
, Bad Subjects
Bad Subjects
Bad Subjects is a research collaborative that operate generally out of California, United States under the name "Bad Subjects" as part of the open access electronic publishing cooperative EServer.org...
, The Fortean Times, Headpress, and Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, where her column, "Sub Rosa", ran from January 2007 to July 2009. Her essays have also appeared in a number of books and anthologies.
She is the author of the cult film books Meat is Murder
Meat Is Murder
Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released in February 1985 and became the band's sole number one album in the UK charts during the band's lifetime, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. It reached number 110 in the US...
and Hollywood Hex
Hollywood Hex
Hollywood Hex is an in-depth history of "cursed movies". The book deals with deaths on-set, copycat crimes, obsessed fans, bizarre coincidences, and other incidents which lead a film to be called "cursed".-Description:...
, as well as books on psychoanalysis, critical theory and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent book, The Solitary Vice: Against Reading (Counterpoint, 2008) was selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, who said: "Sharp, whimsical and impassioned, Brottman's look at the pleasures and perils of compulsive reading is itself compulsively readable and will connect with any book lover."
Brottman's partner is the film critic David Sterritt
David Sterritt
David Sterritt is a film critic, author and scholar. He is most notable for his work on Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, and his many years as the Film Critic for The Christian Science Monitor, where, from 1968 until his retirement in 2005, he championed avant garde cinema, theater and music...
.
Books
- Meat is Murder, London: Creation Books, 1998.
- Hollywood HexHollywood HexHollywood Hex is an in-depth history of "cursed movies". The book deals with deaths on-set, copycat crimes, obsessed fans, bizarre coincidences, and other incidents which lead a film to be called "cursed".-Description:...
, London: Creation Books, 1999. - Car Crash Culture (Ed.), New York: Palgrave, 2002.
- Funny Peculiar: Gershon Legman and the Psychopathology of Humor, Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press, Inc., 2004.
- Offensive Films, Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2005.
- High Theory, Low Culture, New York: Palgrave, 2005.
- The Solitary Vice: Against Reading, Los Angeles: Counterpoint, 2008.