In Toronto's literary and cultural circles, she is a strong presence – the internationally respected Phyllis Grosskurth, Ph.D., Order of Canada, English professor and author of acclaimed biographies of John Addington Symonds, Havelock Ellis, Melanie Klein and Byron
wrote The Secret Ring: Freud's Inner Circle and the Politics of Psychoanalysis
Grosskurth, 83, had a stroke seven years ago
"They say I'll never walk again," she says, calmly — as elegant as ever, sharply defined by her wry humour and inimitable approach to life. She's still got her "eagle eye," loves to gossip, ferret out stories, ask blunt questions.
Did she learn anything useful from her studies of psychoanalysis, anything helpful for this stage of her life?
"Yes, I did." She pauses. "Acceptance. It means I'd love to be young, to be swimming, to be cooking and gardening, but I can't do any of those things any more. There are compensatory things."
"Voltaire said, 'Cultivate your garden.' "
VIDEO: Phyllis Grosskurth
clipped from: www.thestar.com 