The importance of play in adulthood. An interview with Joan M. Erikson. Interview by Daniel Benveniste

Joan M. Erikson (1902-1997) was an artist, a writer, a mother, and the wife and collaborator of Erik H. Erikson (1902-1994), one of the most important and influential psychoanalysts in the world. The following is an edited dialogue on one of her favorite topics--The Importance of Play in Adulthood. It features her thoughts on the subject and reminiscences of the ways she played throughout her life. She muses on play in relation to humor, fun, the role of the fool, and more. The article was a project undertaken in the spirit of play and it will hopefully evoke further playful musings in the minds of readers.