Stephen O'Connor on his new novel WE WANT SO MUCH TO BE OURSELVES episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 1H 12M

Stephen O'Connor on his new novel WE WANT SO MUCH TO BE OURSELVES

from INTERLOCUTOR Interviews

Author Stephen O'Connor discusses his new novel, WE WANT SO MUCH TO BE OURSELVES. Günter Zeitz, psychoanalyst-in-training and the son of a Catholic country doctor, and Josine Rosen, Sigmund Freud’s patient and the daughter of a Jewish shipping magnate, first meet in 1924, in Freud’s Viennese waiting room. As their intense affair develops, Freud arranges for Günter’s appointment to the newly created Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute. Shortly after the move, their daughter Hannah is born. But less than a decade later, all their hopes and ideals are profoundly challenged by political realities so horrific that they are, initially, beyond comprehension.A heartrending story of love in a time of hatred, an absorbing investigation into the Nazis’ exploitation of psychoanalysis, and a cautionary tale about self-deception and the failures of a people to recognize the lies of their charismatic leader, We Want So Much to Be Ourselves examines the ways science can be corrupted and one’s very identity transformed by historical circumstance.Interlocutor Magazine presents Interlocutor Interviews, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with creatives across art, music, activism, film, fashion, writing, and more. Enjoying our content? Help support us with a donation. Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our latest features. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 11, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Stephen O'Connor on his new novel WE WANT SO MUCH TO BE OURSELVES

0:00 1:12:23

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of INTERLOCUTOR Interviews?

This episode is 1 hour and 12 minutes long.

When was this INTERLOCUTOR Interviews episode published?

This episode was published on June 11, 2026.

Can I download this INTERLOCUTOR Interviews episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!