BARRY SPECTOR - No Kings and the Myth of American Innocence

Event Date: June 12, 2026
Time: 4:00 pm

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of  the United States of America, Barry Spector invites us to take a hard look at where we came from and what has comprised our legacy thus far. What are the guiding and misguiding myths that have led us to where we are today? 

This program will be an in-depth probe into the dreams, myths, and fantasies that have propelled a narrative of exceptionalism, exploitation, and rugged individualism. We will explore the No Kings demonstrations and movement. Is it going anywhere, or is it just a feel-good experience to assuage our guilt? This interview will be based on the six-part series that Barry wrote on his Substack pages, “No Kings and American Innocence.” Barry’s work is a thorough dive into the history, psychology, and mythic dimensions of America and the American psyche.

Barry Spector is the author of Madness at the Gates of the City: The Myth of American Innocence, which received the PEN/Oakland 2011 Josephine Miles Literary Award and is a brilliant understanding of the unique psychology and culture directives in American society. He writes about history and politics from the perspectives of myth, indigenous traditions, and archetypal psychology. He has a deep understanding of the myths that underlie the American Dream and America’s sense of exceptionalism. He has published articles in the Jung Journal and penned the essay, The Mythic Foundations of American Libertarianism for the Praxis book, Uncivil Liberties. He holds a degree in psychology from Harvard and has lectured at Sonoma State University and and Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

Registration:
$21 or $16 for Praxis members – Click Here

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