By
– September 13, 2011
Amen, Amen, Amen is a sad revelation written in a humorous style by improvisational comedienne Abby Sher. For Sher, the monsters that occupy her universe reside within and find destructive expression in obsession-compulsion, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Sher portrays the complex intersection between Judaism and obsessive ritualism. She realizes that “…making lists and repeating things were a large part of being Jewish, too.” However, this work does not lend psychological insight and instead the pages filled with Kaddish and other prayers become taxing recitations to be read alongside song lyrics, food lists, exercise protocols, and testaments to self-mutilation. We are left to ponder Sher’s predilection for shredding her dinner napkins along with her most primary personal and professional relationships. This book captures the intractability of chronic anxiety in the face of loss (both real and imagined). This memoir could be a source of identification for those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and might also be suited for case study material in a psychology seminar.
Read Abby Sher’s Posts for the Visiting Scribe
The Shuls, They Are A’Changin’
Hillel House, University of Chicago
Finding a Religious Home
Audrey Freshman, Ph.D , LCSW, CASAC, is a psychotherapist with a private practice located in Rockville Centre, NY. Dr. Freshman is the Associate Director of an outpatient substance abuse agency and the Assistant Editor of the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions.