Good People

On February 15, Jim Hollis publishes his 12th book. Jim has had two careers, the first as a humanities professor, teaching literature at several universities, before he retrained in 1977-82 as a Jungian analyst. He now has a private practice in Houston, directs the Jung Educational Center there, and is vice-president of the Philemon Foundation, which will publish the complete works of Carl Jung.

His own books have sold over 100,000 copies and have been translated into seven languages. Two weekends a month he spends on the road, and his web site will tell you when he next appears near your city.

The latest book explores Jung's idea of The Shadow, the private self that contradicts public image. Jim examines it within persons and in larger cultural frames, from religion to politics. Accepting the presence of this dark force, he argues, is a means of acquiring more self-awareness and conscious conduct of daily life.

For all his success, Jim remains the genial introvert we knew in high school. He dreads the radio and tv appearances that will soon rule his days, but he enjoys writing, mostly for its mystery: "It seems to come from below, somewhere, and I am just its scribe." He's already writing book 13, which rolls out of his head each morning: "I guess the Committee of the Interior is sending me a fax."