"On Anger": Josh Cohen in conversation with Devorah Baum

Anger is all around us. But what should we do with it, and can it ever be put to good use?
Anger is all around us, from divisive social media arguments and heightened political divides to road rage and personal spats; from Black Lives Matter and climate justice movements to Trump, incels and white supremacists. When it materialises, it seems to cry out for recognition and response. It affects our bodies and can transition into violence. It can be inherited through the generations; it can manifest in criminal acts. What should we do with it, and can it ever be put to good use?
Drawing on case studies of patients, developments in neuropsychology, literature, philosophy and recent political events, acclaimed author and psychoanalyst Josh Cohen will identify the different forms of anger, including the most untrammelled and elemental fury, the more cynical anger that works towards political unrest, and the questioning anger of political protest. Rather than an emotion to ignore, he will argue that anger is a primary human feeling. It maps itself onto every aspect of our intimate lives while politically and culturally shaping our world.
In a time of intense dissatisfactions and spiralling divisions, and with anger a dominating force, this event will offer a new and original understanding of anger, so we may better handle the rage within us.
Josh Cohen is a psychoanalyst in private practice, and Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths University of London. He is the author of numerous books and articles on modern literature, psychoanalysis and cultural theory. His latest book, All the Rage, is published by Granta.
Devorah Baum is a writer, film director, and professor in English literature at the University of Southampton. Her latest book, On Marriage, was published in 2023 by Hamish Hamilton.