MODERN ATHENAS

Irena’s Children, is the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic woman and Modern Athena. In her early 20s during the time period covered by the book (Irena's Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo), and standing 4’11” tall, Irena was not physically imposing. But anyone that underestimated her was sorely mistaken. It was this young woman’s iron spirit, sense of purpose, and bravery that
helped her to organize dozens of ordinary citizens, across the divides of religion, into foot soldiers for her human network. Between 1940 and 1945, this network saved the lives of 2,500 Jewish children who otherwise would have perished with their parents in the Warsaw ghetto, in the rail cars destined for the Treblinka extermination camp, or in the gas chambers at Treblinka. Listen now as we tell her story.

INDEX
0:00 Intro and Background of the Book
1:52 Warsaw at the Start of World War II
3:38 The German Purges Begin
6:13 The Germans Target the Jews
7:48 Irena’s First Resistance Efforts
10:48 The Ghetto is Created
16:53 The Winter of 1941-1942
18:20 Escaping the Ghetto: Saving the Children
25:08 Escaping the Ghetto: Saving the Families
26:55 Gross-Aktion Warsaw
30:50 Trying to Save the Children: Umschlagplatz and The Ghetto Hospital
36:05 Trying to Save the Children: Dr. Korczak’s Orphanage
38:20 The Money Runs Out
40:45 The Lists of Children Grow
44:00 The Final Liquidation of the Ghetto
49:45 Irena’s Capture
55:00 The Warsaw Uprising
59:16 The Fate of the Lists
1:03:00 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube. Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast

In this podcast, we will be discussing the book “A Little More About Me,” by Pam Houston. Pam Houston is a well-known fiction writer. In A Little More About Me, Pam uses essays to tackle the transformative moments of her life and to reflect on the decisions she has made and the various twists and turns her life journey has taken. As Pam takes the reader on this journey, we see that she refuses to ever give up her dreams, and refuses to settle for what others’ expectations are of her. Time after time, she bravely steps into the unknown to challenge herself and to search for who she truly is and who she wants to be. Pam embodies Athena’s perseverance, bravery through challenges, fortitude, and drive.

INDEX
0:00 Intro and Background of the Book
1:07 Mid-30s
3:30 Walking on the Edge
6:55 Dogs and Kids
10:27 Outgrowing Home
14:04 Friendship: Loss and Gain
19:06 The Grand Tetons: New Boundaries in Life
24:38 Conquering Challenges, Accepting When it is Too Much
28:37 Insecurities: We All Have Them
34:37 Fear of Life Changes
41:24 In the Company of Fisherman: Companionship
47:55 Redefining Success
52:05 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube. Send us feedback or leave a review!
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast

In this podcast, we will be discussing the book “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter: The Remarkable True Story of American Heroine Ida Lewis,” by Lenore Skomal. Lenore tells the story of Ida Lewis, whose father was responsible for keeping the light burning in the Lime Rock Lighthouse outside of Newport, Rhode Island in the mid-1800s. When Ida was young, her father fell ill, and tending the light fell to her mother and later, to Ida. Ida was considered the bravest woman of her day, not because of her light keeping skills but because of her daring rescues at sea. Ida would see men in danger in the waters surrounding the lighthouse and immediately race for her row boat, casting off and rowing as hard as she could to reach the drowning men. Using her 5’4”, 103-pound frame, she would pull the men into her boat and then row them back to the safety of the shore. Ida’s rescues brought her unwanted fame and attention. While she met some of the biggest political and military names of her day—men who today have their own pages in history books—and was visited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony—the leaders of the suffrage movement—Ida never appeared to enjoy the spotlight. The story of this Modern Athena would have been lost to history, or at least relegated to a footnote, if Lenore Skomal had not written this book.

INDEX
0:00 Intro and Background of the Book
1:55 Lighthouses & The Lime Rock Lighthouse
5:25 Ida and Hosea
8:57 Ida’s First Rescue
13:48 The Famous Rescue
19:19 The Famous Rescue: Publicity and Grace Darling
22:59 July 4, 1869
29:03 Ida Becomes a Newport Attraction
38:18 Ida’s Life Moves On
41:38 Ida’s Official Appointment and Last Rescue
45:15 The End of an Era
48:19 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

In this podcast, we will be discussing the book Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI, by Candice DeLong. When Candice DeLong joined the FBI, she was one of the few female agents. At that time, women represented less than 4% of a total agent force of 8,000. Today, women remain a minority—there are 1,700 women, representing only 15% of total agents. We wanted to share Candice’s story with you because she is an example of how to succeed as a leader in a male-dominated profession. Her persistence, work ethic, and teamwork were the pillars of her success. And, like many other women in male-dominated professions, she learned how to walk the line between being “one of the guys” and being an assertive, independent woman.

INDEX
0:00 Intro and Background of the Book
1:01 Candice’s Psychiatric Nursing Career: Working Under Stress
5:20 Candice’s Application and Admission to the FBI
10:42 Attending the FBI Academy, Confronting Sexism and Double Standards
18:34 Candice Joins the FBI, Heads to Chicago Field Office
27:58 Women in the FBI: Camaraderie, Mentors and Competition
32:51 Candice’s Home Life, Making Ends Meet as a Single Mother
35:42 Office of Professional Responsibility: FBI’s Internal Affairs Department
37:55 Candice Moves to San Francisco, Works the Unabomber Case
43:27 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

Please note that some of the descriptions in this podcast are graphic and may not be appropriate for children.

In this episode, we discuss a book about Ama Adhe, a Tibetan woman who was imprisoned by the Chinese and subjected to inhumane treatment in labor camps for over twenty years. Adhe’s courage, perseverance and strength throughout her imprisonment and her life embody the very essence of a Modern Athena. "Although the circumstances of her life are tragic, the wisdom, strength, and courage that Ama Adhe sustained through those many torturous years place her among those rare human beings who would not turn their backs on those in need or repeat a doctrine they did not believe in. To Tibetans, Adhe is a symbol of courage and determination; to me, she speaks for a people who against great odds valiantly maintain their culture, their religion, and their inner freedom.”

INDEX
0:00 Intro and Background of the Book
1:12 The Tibet of Adhe’s Childhood
3:39 The Chinese Arrive in Tibet
8:42 Adhe is Detained
11:01 Adhe is Interrogated and Sentenced
14:00 Adhe’s Experiences in the Labor Camps
15:50 Re-Education Meetings
18:00 The Enduring Friendships in the Labor Camps
19:29 Adhe’s Sentence Ends but She is Not Released
26:02 A New Friend and A Return Home After 21 Years
29:19 Adhe is Finally Released from Prison
31:52 Adhe Reunites with Her Brother
35:00 Adhe Leaves Tibet for the Last Time, Meets the Dalai Lama
37:18 Adhe is a Living Testimony
38:52 Tibet Today
39:15 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

Christy Orser is a Major in the US Army. She is also a wife and a mother to two children, William, 5, and Caroline, 2. She graduated from UMass Amherst with a double major in communications and political science. She was also an Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. She holds a Masters in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University. Her military education includes the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Career courses, the Commanding General Staff Officer Course, the Air Force Space and Missile Intelligence Formal Training Unit, the Army Counterintelligence Agent Course, and the US Army Airborne School. Christy’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, for her service in Iraq, the Parachutist Badge, the Army Space Badge, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and the Order of the Combat Spur. Christy is also the recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership award. We had the chance to hear about her military career, leadership lessons and how she creates balance in life.

INDEX
0:00 Intro
1:54 Joining the Military and First Deployment
23:06 Coming home and Promotion to New Job
32:09 Army Congressional Fellowship Program
36:09 Mentoring Young Leaders
38:38 Knowing Your “Why”
43:22 Juggling Life, Finding Balance for Family
57:11 Closing Questions
1:03:17 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

We chose Susan Spencer-Wendel as a Modern Athena because in the face of a diagnosis of a terminal illness (ALS), she chose to live a life of joy, building memories, making special moments, and surrounding herself with her family and friends. Susan also took a special trip with each of her children, and with each of her close friends. Knowing her illness’ destructive path, she chose to embrace life rather than allow the illness to control her. She was, in every way, a pillar of strength and courage. This podcast is about her trips, her journeys inward, and her year of finding peace.

INDEX
00:00 Intro and Background of the Book
01:53 ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
09:29 Decision to Travel
12:17 Space Shuttle Launch
16:17 The Yukon and the Northern Lights
22:15 Susan’s Mother, Facing Death
27:37 Christmas
31:57 Chickee Hut
36:32 John, Her Husband
41:09 Steph, Her Sister
47:47 The Children’s Trips
50:58 Scrapbooking
55:00 Writing the Book and the Close
57:49 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

Not every Modern Athena is a woman who has become a well-known warrior. Sometimes, Modern Athenas can be found quietly persevering through life’s never ending twists and turns. Making it through one day, and another, until they have passed through darkness, light, and time. In The Rules Do Not Apply, Ariel Levy begins the book talking about the loss of her spouse, her child, her home, and the life she was building for herself. She then turns back time, taking us through her journey of building her writing career, finding love, owning a home, and becoming pregnant. She also takes us through the darkness of her partner’s alcoholism, her miscarriage, and the sense that she may never find happiness. As we discuss Ariel’s rocky road, we hope our listeners find solace in her words: no one has everything in life.

INDEX
00:00-01:06 Intro and Background of the Book
01:07-06:43 Ariel the Writer
06:44-10:24 Ariel’s Mother
10:25-15:17 Ariel’s Father: Life is Fragile
15:18-18:17 Ariel Meets Lucy, Finds Love
18:18-21:29 Fertility: Ticking of the Biological Clock
21:30-24:53 Wanting It All
24:54-27:05 Ariel and Lucy Divided: The Affair and Alcoholism
27:06-35:20 Lucy’s Alcoholism
35:21-40:01 Ariel Gets Pregnant, Joy and Purpose
40:02-47:42 Ariel’s Miscarriage, Loss and Grief
47:43-49:53 Healing
49:54-52:29 The End of the Road, Curiosity and Hope
52:30-53:24 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, tells the story of Kamila Sidiqui and her sisters, who, under Kamila’s bravery, courage, and perseverance, were able to survive under the Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan once their parents and older brother were forced to flee. Charged with her family’s survival, Kamila invented a way to provide for her family—by making dresses. She eventually mobilized her sisters, and their friends, and her local community. Kamila’s ability to keep going even as her world fell apart, her bravery and courage when she unexpectedly became the primary breadwinner for her family, completely unprepared, and her entrepreneurial spirit, all make her a Modern Athena.

INDEX
00:00-01:56 Intro and Background of the Book
01:57-11:23 The Taliban Reginme Takes Over
11:24-16:43 Kamila’s Family
16:44-19:31 The Book Swap
19:32-21:34 Money Begins to Run Out
21:35-26:07 Kamila Becomes a Seamstress
26:08-32:08 Kamila Starts Her Business
32:09-41:03 Her Business Expands
41:04-44:12 A Dressmaking School is Created
44:13-49:19 The Unexpected Wedding Party
49:20-51:36 A Message from the Taliban
51:37-54:59 The Tides Begin to Change
55:00-58:55 After September 11, 2001
58:56-59:47 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.

In this podcast, we will be discussing the book Year of No Clutter, by Eve O. Schaub. We chose this book because it addresses ideas around clutter- clutter that inhabits all of our lives. Eve takes a year to declutter her home, most particularly a room she calls the Hell Room. Through her decluttering journey, we learn about Eve’s family’s habits of holding onto clutter, the deep rooted reasons why Eve holds onto material things, and lessons we can all use in our own lives. Eve is a Modern Athena because she has overcome a significant emotional and physical challenge and transformed her way of thinking to make a better life for herself and a better future for her daughters, by setting the example.

INDEX
00:00-01:37 Intro and Background of the Book
01:38-05:36 The Hell Room
05:37-09:35 Hoarder or a Clutter Queen?
09:36-13:56 Problems of Abundance
13:57-20:30 Why Does Eve Keep it All?
20:31-25:28 Change
25:29-31:07 Indecision, Fear and “Extreme Confidence”
31:08-36:11 Excuses
36:12-39:15 Moving Forward
39:16-43:59 Miles’ Gift Ban
44:00-46:34 Creating a Method to the Madness
46:35-50:47 Creative Keeping of Memories
50:48-57:20 Don’t Look Behind You and Reaching the End of the Year
57:21-58:12 Outro and Next Episode

Visit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.
Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenas
Follow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcast
Send us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.