At age nineteen, Iris's dream to become a dancer was cut short by a mysterious and debilitating illness. During her recovery, she found solace in the surreal and intricate wisdom of philosopher/counselor Stan Smith. Over the following thirteen years, she got to know him as a client, student, friend and collaborator. Intelligent Intimacy goes to the heart of her on-going, free-wheeling conversations with Stan about power, death, adolescence, dreaming and intimacy itself. Both a memoir and an introduction to Smith's ruthless yet affectionate knowledge, Intelligent Intimacy is a portrait of a woman shaped by a twenty-first century philosopher.