Clarissa Pinkola Estés refers to as “the one who knows”—the instinctive, intuitive nature. This, she teaches, is the source of creativity and understanding that lies out of sight in darkness, often called the unconscious.On Seeing in the Dark, we join the esteemed Jungian psychoanalyst and bestselling author to learn how to perceive through the eyes of the soul as well as through the eyes of the ego. This dual way of seeing, being, and acting, Dr. Estés explains, is the most direct way to reclaim the gifts of the “healing apothecary” set into each soul at birth. On two CDs of empowering insights, special blessing prayers, and original stories—told here for the first time—Dr. Estés inspires us to find our one-of-a-kind voice and trust in our ability to “see beyond the obvious, to see beyond the cultural,” as she introduces: “The Fire Owl””—an all-new tale about reclaiming the fire of enthusiasm when others would try to steal it away• “The Corpse Bride””—an all-new story about the hope which cannot die and the power of redemption• “The Erl König,” “The Rebbe in Prison,” “The Man Who Sought Treasure Afar,” and more“We are weakly linked or else severed from the wild and wise self,” says Dr. Estés. “Yet, deep creative life is informed by the realm of mystery, dreams, sudden knowings; the shadow.” Seeing in the Dark is an inspiring call to “mine the raw gems of spirit, soul, and creative life”—again, or for the very first time. Note: Portions of this program excerpted from the full-length audio course Mother Night.

    Aline Kominsky-Crumb is a pioneer of the autobiographical form, showing women's everyday lives, especially through the lens of the body. Phoebe Gloeckner places teenage sexuality at the center of her work, while Lynda Barry uses collage and the empty spaces between frames to capture the process of memory. Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis experiments with visual witness to frame her personal and historical narrative, and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home meticulously incorporates family documents by hand to re-present the author's past.These five cartoonists move the art of autobiography and graphic storytelling in new directions, particularly through the depiction of sex, gender, and lived experience. Hillary L. Chute explores their verbal and visual techniques, which have transformed autobiographical narrative and contemporary comics. Through the interplay of words and images, and the counterpoint of presence and absence, they express difficult, even traumatic stories while engaging with the workings of memory. Intertwining aesthetics and politics, these women both rewrite and redesign the parameters of acceptable discourse.

    Focusing on contemporary contributions to the field while incorporating classical and theoretical arguments, this collection of creative articles by top scholars explains how the complex, evolving pattern of gender studies is constructed interpersonally, institutionally, and culturally.