July 13, Rhonda Garelick, distinguished professor of English and Journalism at SMU Dallas, for a piece about the impact of the diminutive “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer on American sexuality. Published in Garelick’s New York Times ‘Face Forward’ column under the heading The Irony of Dr. Ruth: https://tinyurl.com/3m55tsuf
I will never forget the afternoon I spent, about 30 years ago, with Dr. Ruth Westheimer, interviewing her for a now-long-lost magazine article — my first ever. We met at the door of her New York City office in Washington Heights. In a gesture of mingled affection and authority, she thrust her top-handled pocketbook into my hands, while she fished for her keys. Once inside the cozy, cluttered space, I saw the many footstools she kept stowed beneath every chair. At 4-foot-7 Dr. Ruth used them to keep her feet from dangling when she sat down.