E168: Barbara Gitenstein - Experience is the Angled Road
In her book "Experience is the Angled Road: Memoirs of an Academic", Barbara Gitenstein captures the shock and the humor she faced when confronting the obstacles of being the only “whatever” in the room (woman, Jew, southerner, liberal) and delivers an incredible book about leadership instead of yet another handbook on how to be a leader. To her, it was the privilege of being an "outsider" that taught her to listen with a sympathetic ear, allowing her career to achieve the highest level one could hope for in Academia, College President. She is often interviewed on radio and television stations in New Jersey, focusing on higher education issues. SPOILER ALERT: There is incredible WISDOM in this episode!
Learn more about Barbara or buy her book at: About - Barbara Gitenstein (rbarbaragitenstein.com)
Barbara Gitenstein is the author of some 30 academic articles on Jewish-American Literature and academic administration as well as the monograph Apocalyptic Messianism and Jewish-American Poetry. She has made over 100 presentations at literature and academic administrative conferences. She was often interviewed on radio and television stations in New Jersey, focusing on higher education issues. She did not grow up aspiring to be a president of a college, rather she wanted to be a prima donna at the Metropolitan Opera Company. Her second-choice career turned out rather well, as after receiving a B.A. with honors from Duke University and a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by 15 years as a full time English professor, she served as Provost and Executive Vice President at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and as president of The College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey.
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