ABSTRACT
Ibeginthesebiographicalcommentswithsomedisclaimers.Towrite aboutHeinzKohutisbotheasyandexceedinglydifficult.Perhapsthis istrueforanyfriendwhoundertakestotellsomethingofthestoryof another.Itiseasytofocusonone'sownexperiencesandletwhatone knowsfirsthandbetheguide.Withareasonabledegreeofcandorand seriousattemptsatobjectivityonemaysucceedinpaintingalively picturethatyetremainsaverylimitedandpersonalview.HeinzKohut lovedtotalktohisfriendsandstudents,expressingopinionsaboutall sortsofthings.Atthesametimeheremainedaveryprivate,even secretive,person,whohidhisownpastinafogofgeneralities.Todate noonehaspublishedascholarlybiography,noristhetimeripeto reopenoldwoundsandrekindlethebarelybankedfiresofcontroversy. Thereaderofthislittleessay,therefore,mustbesatisfiedwithaquickly passingglanceatoneofthemajorinnovatorsoftwentieth-century psychologicalsciencebysomeonewhowasperhapsstationedtooclose tobeabletogetacomprehensiveoverview.Inkeepingwiththespiritof KohutianselfpsychologicalpsychoanalysisIwillavoidcategorical objectivejudgmentsinfavoroflettingtheexperiencingofevolving interactionsprevail.
