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The Forgetful Said: A Four-Part Summer Series on "L'Étourdit"
In the summer of 1972, just after concluding his iconic nineteenth seminar . . . Or Worse, Lacan wrote what many still consider to be a nearly unreadable essay — but also the definitive written statement of his later teaching: “L’Étourdit.” What “The Subversion of the Subject” was to Lacanian psychoanalysis in the 1960s, “L’Étourdit” was to become for its 1970s extension: nothing short of catalytic.
Which is why I’m excited to study this essay with you this summer, reading “L’Étourdit” as a summative account of . . . Or Worse (Seminar XIXb), a crucial prefiguration of Encore (Seminar XX), and arguably the most significant written formulation of Lacan’s later thought. If you’ve been looking for a way into Lacan’s 1970s work, notably his famous twentieth seminar, this is the summer series for you!
In addition to sharing weekly recorded lectures on “L’Étourdit” with all registered participants, I will be hosting weekly online discussions throughout the series — and always with an eye toward making this essay clear, coherent, and accessible to all. A tall order, no doubt, but also one I wager we can fill together.
Schedule of Events:
31 May: Zoom Discussion, 10am PST. Readings to be discussed: “L’Étourdit,” pp. 1-30.
7 June: Zoom Discussion, 10am PST. Readings to be discussed: “L’Étourdit,” pp. 31-61.
14 June: Zoom Discussion, 10am PST. Readings to be discussed: “L’Étourdit,” pp. 62-92.
21 June: Zoom Discussion, 10am PST. Readings to be discussed: “L’Étourdit,” pp. 93-128.
Registration Costs:
In an effort to keep Lectures on Lacan accessible to all, this four-part series on “L’Étourdit,” lectures and discussions included, will be offered on a donation basis.
The suggested donation for the complete series is $100 for professionals or $50 for students and trainees, but any donation, big or small, will allow you to join the series. To register via Venmo, scan the QR code below or use @smlmccrmck. There’s also a link below to register via PayPal, if you prefer.
Thank you for supporting Lectures on Lacan, and I look forward to reading this supposedly unreadable essay with you this summer!
You can also register via PayPal HERE.
About Prof. Dr. McCormick:
Samuel McCormick, Ph.D., is an award-winning teacher and scholar. He lectures widely on Lacanian psychoanalysis, is Professor of Communication Studies at San Francisco State University, and was recently appointed EURIAS & Marie-Curie Research Fellow at Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies in Denmark. His first book, Letters to Power: Public Advocacy Without Public Intellectuals, won the Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression, the James A. Winans - Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address, and the Everett Lee Hunt Award. His second book, The Chattering Mind: A Conceptual History of Everyday Talk, was recently published by the University of Chicago Press, with an Italian translation to be published later this year.
More about Lectures on Lacan and Prof. Dr. McCormick HERE.