New Books in Psychology Betty Milan, "Analyzed by Lacan: A Personal Account" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
Jan 2, 2026
In this engaging conversation, Betty Milan, a Lacanian psychoanalyst and writer, shares her unique experience of being analyzed by Jacques Lacan in the 1970s. She discusses her memoir, Why Lacan, shedding light on Lacan's unconventional clinical techniques and their impact on her work. Milan delves into her play Goodbye Doctor, exploring themes of motherhood and desire. The learning from Lacanian theory is woven into Brazilian culture, emphasizing the significance of carnival in collective memory. Milan also touches on her current projects, including writing that addresses climate issues.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Serema: Name With Multiple Meanings
- Milan chose the heroine name Serema for layered meanings linking being and mother in Portuguese and Arabic.
- The play traces Serema's analysis discovering her unconscious obstacle to motherhood tied to paternal will.
Cutting Sessions Creates Opportunity
- Lacan reversed orthodox technique by cutting sessions instead of over-interpreting speech to avoid increased resistance.
- He privileged the analysand's own subsequent interpretation and relied on kairos and nachtraglichkeit for analytic effect.
Paris As An Epic Discovery
- Lacan dramatized everyday life and transformed Milan's journey to Paris into an epic discovery.
- He told her, 'what are you doing here? You have gone through the ocean... as if you were going to discover America.'