Freud's distinctive writing style, celebrated in his being awarded the Goethe Prize for literature, has been the subject of much fascination and study (e.g. Mahony, 1984; Ricoeur, 1977). Later analysts have attracted less attention in this regard although as a group their literary craft is remarkably diverse. Hartmann and Jacobson, for instance, write as no-nonsense basic scientists. Winnicott is known for his elusive simplicity. Guntrip comes across as an anguished humanitarian, Khan as an enigmatic (and, later, mad) guru, Brenner as a meticulous surgeon, Kohut as a joyful explorer, Kernberg as an inspired teacher, Limentani as a reassuring internist, and Volkan as an enchanting historian, to name a few.

Christopher Bollas, a former professor of English, has a style of his own. He relies on as many conceptual sources from fiction, theater,