[Herodotus2010] Everyone, meet everyone else!

[Andre Stipanovic]

Hello Herodotus readers,
I hope some of you have begun to enjoy the epic storytelling of Book I,
the myths, and legendary characters in the backstory to the "current
events" of the Greek-Persian conflict. I've cut and pasted everyone's
personal notes of introduction to the group so you can get a complete
sense of who will be on our calls.

This week I will send out some study guide questions for the first half of
Book I.  I will try to get study guide questions out next week for the
second half of Book I.  The following week I will start asking a few of
you to take on a study guide question to introduce to us with your
observations during our next discussion.  Our next call will happen on
Monday November 15.
Happy reading,
Andre

Tom Adams
I work for the California Department of Education in the areas of
standards, curriculum, and instructional materials. My fascination with
ancient Greece goes back to childhood and it was reborn when my daughter
started to read the Percy Jackson series. She has continued on to other
reading adventures but I am remain fascinated with the Greeks. I have
tried reading Herodotus before but quickly got lost and confused. I look
forward to obtaining inspiration from my fellow readers and to enjoying
their insights.

Marty Brody
I live in Skokie Illinois, a Chicago Suburb. I'm the credit manager for
Tech Lighting, a manufacturer of very up to the~moment mostly~overhead
lighting. Lots of LED and other energy saving fixtures in addition to
great styling.  Five mornings a week~I do water aerobics or stationary
bicycle~ride. I'm a great fan of theatre and classical music.~I am able
to~attend~40 to 50 live~theater performances~and Chicago Symphony
Orchestra performances each~year by volunteering through a performing arts
volunteer group called "The Saints".  I enjoy reading histories and
biographies.  This is my second encounter with Reading Odyssey. I read
The~Odyssey with this group last spring. Herodotus looks great from what
I've read so far and I'm looking forward to this experience.

Margaret Carayannopoulos
I along with my husband George, will be joining you every month as part of
the Herodotus 2010 reading group.  I work at Harvard University as a
Financial Officer for the Museum of Comparative Zoology:[
http://www.mcz.harvard.edu ]http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/
George has just retired as a scientist from MIT-Lincoln Laboratory and is
finding his way into a whole new lifestyle.~ I love being with my
grandchildren, walking and traveling.  We wanted to let everyone know that
yes, we both have a strong Greek back round (George is from Egypt.), speak
modern Greek, but have no real knowledge-base of the ancient Greek
language; we have much to learn from all of you.~ Also, we are one of the
few Greek-Americans who decided to keep all fifteen letters of our last
name!  We look forward to gaining insight into a part of the world that at
one time was so dynamic and gifted.

Nova Clarke
I currently live in Auburn, AL.  I am a 13 year veteran of the National
Park Service, and moved to AL in January to work at Tuskegee Institute.  I
love history but my focus has always been more modern time periods and
usually American.  The last time I read anything ancient was in political
philosophy in college so thought this would be a good way to break into
that.  Aside from history, I love being outside, gardening (about ready to
harvest the peanuts planted in honor of Dr. Carver from outside the
museum), opera, and hockey and am also really happy it is finally fall in
the south.

Helen Haertl
I live in Portland, OR and work in the consumer experience arena (mainly
online) in the healthcare industry.~ This is my second Reading Odyssey -
the first was The Odyssey.~I've always wanted to read more of the classics
and this is a great way motivate myself to do so and to get insight from
others doing the same thing.

Jason Happel
my wife and I are on vacation in the White Mountains in New Hampshire --
I'm reading Herodotus at the foot of beautiful Mt. Washington.  I did
manage to join the conference call Monday night and look forward to diving
in.  I teach, practice law, and read classical philosophy in my free time
with two friends.  I taught Jewish law and philosophy for a number of
years, and currently teach a summer course on justice with a bio-ethics
theme.  I practice in the areas of family law, estate planning and
probate, and small businesses, including social businesses.  This is my
first Reading Odyssey adventure, and from all indications, it will be a
good one.  I am delighted to see our wide-ranging backgrounds and
interests. What a great group -- I feel lucky to have stumbled on it.

Gabby Hon
I'm an independent User Experience Consultant in Chicago -- basically,
this means that I do my utmost to make online experiences useful and
usable for people.  I'm currently doing a distance learning course in
Latin (using Wheelock) via the University of Alaska--Fairbanks. I've
previously studied both Latin and Ancient Greek but never for a grade. I'm
entertaining the notion of getting my MA, Classics online from the
University of Florida at some point in the future.  When I'm not being a
closet Classicist, I travel as much as I can and futz about with my new
DSLR which has a bunch of whiz-bang features and a really thick manual.

William Johnstone
I'm British living in the UK just outside London. With the time difference
I'm preparing myself for some very late nights!  I studied theology as my
first degree and was an ordained clergyman in the Church of England for a
few years. After a while my outlook shifted quite dramatically and I
converted to Catholicism nearly ten years ago. I now work for a charity as
a fundraiser and have also returned to university as a mature student. I
am studying classics at Univeristy College London, possibly with an idea
of teaching Latin and Greek at some point.~I have an interest in Greek
philosophy and literature and am very much looking forward to being part
of the group.

Debi Lemieur
I taught Latin (and occasionally ancient Greek) at the high school level
for about seven years. Eventually I went back to school myself for higher
degrees and am now teaching part time as an adjunct professor in the
Classics at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia...Latin or courses in
translation like "Ancient Tragedy", "Mythology", and "Classical Epic"
(i.e., Homer).  I also am involved in teaching a couple of courses called
"Intellectual Heritage" at Temple University which cover an amazing span
of subjects and authors in order to acquaint undergrads with the iconic
texts of the modern world.  I haven't read any Herodotus for years and
thought that this would be a good time to renew my love of his Histories.
Reading in a group is always more fun than reading alone!  When not
involved in teaching I keep busy hiking and canoeing with my husband and
our two dogs. Nic, my husband, is joining me in this Herodotus reading
group experience.

Nick Lemieur
I will be attending along with my wife Debi. We have lived just outside
Philadelphia for the past 25 years, before that we lived in Lansing, MI
and Boulder, CO. I work with a large global computer company in software
asset management and distribution. On my own time I enjoy playing music,
working with our 2 delightful pups, cooking, and the plethora of locally
available art forms.  My life~has been greatly enriched by Debi's
passionate studies and teaching in the ancient classical~languages and
history. I look forward to studying with you, drawing from the rich
collective knowledge, contributing as possible from my own resources and
perspective.

Suzanne Lewis
I teach AP history courses at a private school in Ft. Worth.  I have
created a senior elective called The Art of War.  It isn't a military
history in any conventional sense.  Rather it focuses on certain time
periods, and battles, from economic, social, political, cultural, and so
forth basis.  I begin the course with a few comments, and very short
readings from Herodotus and Thucydides. When I heard about this group, I
decided it would be a challenging and interesting activity.  I am not
certain how much would translate into the course; I am doing it mostly for
myself.  I also recall that the first day of a Freshman history class on a
Thursday afternoon the teacher assigned reading in Herodotus.  I recall a
very bewildering weekend, trying to plough through the many pages she
assigned.  I look forward to discussions and reading with you all.

Kent McKamy
Ran two of the US's larger public relations firms for nearly 35 years, got
out of that field to focus on helping people develop more satisfying,
better rounded lives through coaching, personal leadership development
(taking charge of one's own life, one's own time and becoming more
effective in whatever one chooses to do).  Raised in Kentucky, lived for
28 years in Connecticut, have lived in New York City the past 29 years. 
Two years ago, I took off on a solo trip around the US to attempt what
William Least-Heat Moon described in his wonderful book, Blue Highways.
Keeping to back roads and country highways, I logged more than 7,000
miles, saw 36 states at ground level, met & talked with some 350 people
(many of whom I'm still in touch with). Best adventure I've ever had.  How
I spend time: walking 4-7 miles every day...reading spy books (Alan Furst
& Olen Steinhauer particularly), mysteries (from Reginald Hill to Lee
Child to Steig Larsson), motivational stuff (e.g., Dan Pink's Drive,
Stephen Sample's The Art of Contrarian Leadership), short story
collections (James Salter, Mary Gaitskill, John Updike, John Cheever and
Tobias Wolff are favorites)...seeing too many disappointing
movies...writing short stories. ..and devoting time to my wife.  Married
(for the second time), have four grown children.
This is my first experience with the Reading Odyssey, having been inspired
and challenged when I met Phil Terry last month. Looking forward to more.

Nan Okarma
I was born and raised in NJ, but currently live outside of Boston.~ I work
for a pharmaceutical/biotech company in Accounting and Finance and have
spent my career in the Pharmaceutical and BioTech worlds.  This is my 4th
reading with The Reading Odyssey.~ I have also read with the group
Thucydides, The Odyssey, and Xenophon.  While not reading with The Reading
Odyssey, I enjoy reading other genres with English authors being favored
along with mysteries.~ I also spend time volunteering and enjoy biking,
cooking, sports, and travel.

Tim Reagan
I retired last year from many years working on the staff of a labor union.
~I have a project, currently on hold, writing a novel about the secondary
characters in the Iliad. ~I'm also sitting in on a great Shakespeare class
at U.C. Berkeley--I've never had enough Shakespeare in my life. ~Last year
at this time I was traveling in Greece--the Pelopenese, Athens, Delphi,
Santorini--and had gone to Turkey--Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus, and Capadokya.

Virginia Rowan
I'm in the UK and several hours ahead of the States, so the reading group
takes place during the night, for me.~~Hope I'll be able to keep
up.~~Found the maps in Robert B. Strassler's edition of Herodotus very
helpful.  Never taken part in a reading Odyssey before, or used skype
either.

James Stathis
Am an American-Greek and award-winning ancient & modern Greece documentary
filmmaker and I founded [ http://CelebrateGreece.co ]CelebrateGreece.com.~
I created the website to share with the world my passion for Greece’s
history, culture, traditions, food and travel destinations.~ My lifelong
passion for Greece was ignited like an Olympic torch when I first traveled
to Greece with my family at age 13.~ I am presently producing [
http://www.celebrategreece.com/media.aspx?ID=5 ]Greece: Spirits of the
Ancients® (documentary) which showcases the amazing times, stories and
accomplishments from ancient Greece that have touched so many individuals,
societies and cultures of our world.~ Along with my wife Cynthia, I am
also the director and co-producer of [
http://www.celebrategreece.com/media.aspx?ID=3 ]A Greek Islands
Destination Cooking Class (DVD), which was voted as the [
http://www.celebrategreece.com/images/NYTimesAboutdotcomGiftChoice.jp ]#1
New York Times’ About.com culinary-travel DVD gift.  CelebrateGreece.com
is a growing online, video collection of Greece, Greek culture and
history.~ We will be launching an expanded, new version of the website in
about a month.~ We independently produce, archive and offer video journeys
exploring modern and ancient Greece.~ We reach, inform, educate and
inspire worldwide audiences of all ages to celebrate Greece's everlasting
ancient roots and modern historical and cultural traditions.~~ Our mission
is to continue providing original Greek-themed productions produced by
CelebrateGreece.com as well as representing talented, independent
filmmakers who are aligned with our mission.  I find I can never learn
enough about the ancients and the wisdom they continue to feed to us all.~
I like to say that history and culture remembered allow us to know where
we have been, who we are and where we are going.

Jeff Stehle
I live near Detroit, Michigan. I feel like the odd-man-out in this group
as I am a letter carrier with no degrees or college background. However, I
have been a fan of ancient Greek history since first reading The Odyssey
back in high school many,many,many~years ago. Just this past month, I
fulfilled a life long dream by taking a three week trip to Greece and
Turkey. I love to travel, having been to 49 of the 50 states and 10
Canadian provinces. I am in the process of writing a blog of my recent
trip for celebrategreece.com. Other than that, my hobbies include
photography and geneaology. I have read Herodotus twice and look forward
to reading it a third time with a group.


Marie Studer
I am the~Learning and Education Group director~for the Encyclopedia of
Life, an on-line resource that strives to be a "one-stop knowledge shop"
of the latest scientific information about all life on Earth.~ By making
this information freely available to all, EOL hopes to energize the
science of biology and make it engaging and available to people from all
walks of life, all over the world.~ I live and work in the~Boston,
Massachusetts area.~ I'm interested in this time period and learning about
the evolution of modern day cultures, languages, thought~and perceptions
of the world.~ I especially like~Herodotus' holistic approach to writing
(i.e., the~"digressions").~ In my spare time I enjoy being active outside,
cooking (and eating!)~and beekeeping.

Bill Swislow
I oversee content, development and hosting for the
Cars.com<http://Cars.com> web site. My background is in journalism. My
main avocation is art, especially outsider/folk. I read a pretty random
mix of non-fiction and fiction. Some years ago I started adding classical
authors to the mix. Having since then done Aristotle and Xenophon with the
Reading Odyssey, it's clearly an advantage to read these with a group, not
to mention an expert.

Tom Tilley
I'm British and moved over to Los Angeles with my wife when she began her
PHD at USC. Prior to moving to the US I spent the past 6 years working in
the UK and Hong Kong as a corporate strategist for a large British bank. I
studied Classics as an undergraduate and want to renew my engagement with
the subject.

Brooke Tolmachoff
Am from Westminster, Colorado. ~I am on the call with my history club
which consists of between 9-15 high school students. ~They are very
excited for this opportunity and would be happy to tackle one of the
questions in the next session

Danny Weitz
a retired teacher of AP European and Classical History. I am currently in
Istanbul after a cruise to Egypt, Israel, Crete and Cyprus.  Saw lots of
places mentioned by Herodotus. ~I'm an avid miniature war gamer and live
near Princeton New Jersey.

Martin Williams
I spend my days as a research & sponsored programs administrator at
William Paterson University (a public university in northern New Jersey)
which means that I help folks apply for and then manage state and federal
grants.~ I found my way to this by the fortunate coming together of two
very different other things I am involved in.~ I started studying the
Ancient Near East several years ago on my own, with an emphasis on the
Persians and Israel.~ I taught a ancient history survey course as an
adjunct for four years that made me expand my area of study to include the
Greeks, Romans and Byzantines.~ Then, very separately, I got to know Pat
Wictor through a coffeehouse I help with and his mailing list brought me
to this reading adventure and Marathon 2500.~ I also spend time with my
wife, the kids, my lawn, and chairing a professional association.~ This I
do for me.~ A suggestion: add Gilgamesh to the Reading Odyssey.



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