Monday, April 06, 2009

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Status Update From The Shrink Rappers


Later this month, Shrink Rap will celebrate 3 years and we're coming close to the 1000 post mark. I'm not sure if we can get them to coincide. We have news:

Signed, sealed, and delivered, the Shrink Rappers have a book contract. So far, the tentative name is Off the Couch: How Psychiatry Works and What Psychiatrists Think. It won't stick, no one likes it, but for now, it's a "provisional" title. The book will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press, sometime in 2011. Since it's not written, it's hard to have an exact release date.

When I asked our readers for thoughts about a sample chapter, I got a lot of conflicting feedback, but one theme was voiced by several-- the book is more serious, more dry, not light and witty. The editorial feedback we've gotten when we tried to mimic the blog was clear: we have "weird doctor humor" and there was concern that we trivialize mental illness. Other than that, they loved it and it was approved unanimously, what can I say? So the book will be different than the blog, it will be a look at how psychiatry works, but it will be a serious endeavor, not banter. If you like you Shrink Rap, you may or may not like Off the Couch. If you like Shrink Rap, I have good news: we're staying here in the blogosphere, we're staying free, and we're staying weird-- ducks, chocolate, and all.

And what about our My Three Shrinks podcast? That's a good question, one I've wondered about myself. We have some podcasts "in the can" waiting for production. I don't know when they'll go up, I don't know when we'll resume on a regular schedule. One thing I do know is that we will be resuming My Three Shrinks with renewed enthusiasm, but it may not be until after we finish the draft of the book. That's due in June of 2010, and we're aiming to have it done a few months earlier.

So ClinkShrink is off climbing every mountain. Roy is looking for the next gadget to count gigabytes on. I'm signing on to a year as president of our state psychiatric society and thinking that between that and writing the book, I'll be tired of psychiatrists pretty soon.

We're all excited about the book. Thank you for reading Shrink Rap and for all your comments and insights; our readers really are what fueled our interest in writing about our work.

12 comments:

Rach said...

Kudos to you guys for all you take on. I certainly enjoy checking out the blog first thing in the morning - there's always some sort of food for thought (not edible though... I wonder when they'll come up with edible blog posts...)
Keep it up guys - you're an asset to the blogging world :D

~R

Novalis said...

Congratulations; I look forward to reading it. Does this mean your secret identities will be revealed?

marcia said...

wow, a whole book. I miss the podcasts, though.

I'm surprised folks think you trivialize mental illness. I've not had that impression. I like your "weird doctor humor", too.

FooFoo5 said...

My respect. Mde. President

Dinah said...

Rach, thank you!

Novalis, also thank you, what secret identity (?)...yes Clink and Roy have already "come out" locally and at an APA meeting, but this will make it official, years down the line. So glad you're still on speaking terms with us after the politics ranting

Marcia, I didn't think so either but I do have weird humor. Is there 'not weird' humor?

FooFoo-- will you be coming to the dinner?

Anonymous said...

Just be sure it explores new territory - there are already some books out there like this one: http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=on+being+a+therapist and this one http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=letters+to+a+young+therapist

Midwife with a Knife said...

Congratulations! :) To all 3 of you.

Anonymous said...

Weird doctor humor? Don't publishers HAVE a sense of humor? By construct, humor often tends to be weird because it's the surprising and out-of-place contrast that often tends to be funny. Oh well. Serious it is.

Congratulations on all your hard work and resultant achievements.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on the book deal!

Looking forward to it.

I love weird doctor humor. It makes me feel cozy and at home.

Sue in N. Va said...

Congratulations on your upcoming book!

In regards to what you describe as "weird humor" -- I call it being human! I very much appreciate humans in all shapes and forms!

Anonymous said...

If the 'production' that remains to be done on the podcasts means splicing in the theme music and editing out the parts where you paused to toast a bagel, would you guys be willing to hand them over to a volunteer?

Sarebear said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Everybody DUCK!!!!

Third person over on the right (or left, if your are liberal, hee!!) GOOSE!!

My pardon to that person's neighbor who might now be in a pinch . . . . hee hee . . . .

Congrats Magame President!!!

Is there a gavel with a duck on it? My dad's a woodcarver . . . .Hrm . . . .hee . . . . that'd be awesomesauce . . . (a word my daughter and I have recently made up)

The beak would have to be open in an effectively sorta flat way. That'd be cool. hee.