I had the privilege of meeting Gerda Lerner a few yearsago - she was reading from her memoir, Fireweed, which I highly recommend. Radiating a sense of power and tenacity even in her eighties, she's one of those people who makes you think, "Wow, it's amazing what a person can accomplish in one lifetime." I knew about her academic accomplishments as a pioneer of women's history. What I didn't know is that she hadn't begun her career as an academic until she was in her 40s, by which point she'd already led a very full life! Born in Vienna, she was a radical student activist during the Nazi occupation of Austria and was imprisoned for six weeks, before fleeing for New York in 1939. In the 1950s, she was active in the Congress of American Women, a left-leaning women's group concerned with economic and social issues. She also worked for civil rights for African Americans and in support of the United Nations. During this time, Lerner raised two children and published several short stories and a novel. She's an inspiration to me, and an important reminder that it's always possible to do something new and make a real difference, even if you're not following the traditional path to success.
I had the privilege of meeting Gerda Lerner a few yearsago - she was reading from her memoir, Fireweed, which I highly recommend. Radiating a sense of power and tenacity even in her eighties, she's one of those people who makes you think, "Wow, it's amazing what a person can accomplish in one lifetime." I knew about her academic accomplishments as a pioneer of women's history. What I didn't know is that she hadn't begun her career as an academic until she was in her 40s, by which point she'd already led a very full life! Born in Vienna, she was a radical student activist during the Nazi occupation of Austria and was imprisoned for six weeks, before fleeing for New York in 1939. In the 1950s, she was active in the Congress of American Women, a left-leaning women's group concerned with economic and social issues. She also worked for civil rights for African Americans and in support of the United Nations. During this time, Lerner raised two children and published several short stories and a novel. She's an inspiration to me, and an important reminder that it's always possible to do something new and make a real difference, even if you're not following the traditional path to success.