Podcast

REWRITING WOMEN INTO HISTORY – and being heard

She’s had a career in the military, academia, media, literature and beer brewing.

Called everything from a ‘six two transvestite Sheila’ by former football great Sam Newman on national TV, ‘the grunge queen’, by former QLD Premier Wayne Goss, a ‘witch’ by a Sunshine Coast pastor (Karen is convinced the consonant was misheard) and a ‘left-wing loopy academic with no testosterone’ by an irate radio listener in Tasmania, and a crusading, sycophantic, pedantic and myopic academic dwelling in an ivory tower, by a Courier Mail reader, Dr Karen Brooks is, to say the least, polemical. However, the hundreds of emails and letters she receives each week from readers of her books, columns and articles, as well as TV viewers and radio listeners attest to the fact that what she has to say about society, culture and young people today is striking a very loud chord.

In this episode, Karen speaks about how she managed her fears in the face of vitriol and hatred. We also delve into her writing process, the rewriting of women into history, the undervaluing of simple kindness in our society and many more rich, important, vibrant topics.

Karen’s a down-to-earth woman of humility, principle, integrity, conviction and courage. A woman who’s insisted on being heard, even in the face of belittlement and hatred.

You’ll be very glad you’ve heard what she has to say. She has a knack of bringing us back to our common humanity – if we just listen.

Podcast

Listen on

More episodes

Episode
59

Facing Fear – journeys and discoveries

One man, thrust into fear, driven by his curiosity, travels the world interviewing experts on fear. The result is “Facing Fear”, the film. It’s toured Australia and is now rolling out in the USA, with an exceptional response. Film-maker and author, Bill Bennett, speaks of his journey through his own fear whilst making and touring the film, and his transformed attitude to his diagnosis. A universally relevant topic. A conversation illuminated by curiosity, openness, humility and compassion. You’ll enjoy this one.

Listen
Episode
58

COMPASSION - it's not what you think

When Dr. Petrina Barson was a medical student, she found that compassion was not emphasised in her training and, at worst, considered dangerous to a doctor’s ability to be objective. She knew that, as a doctor, she didn’t want to lose her compassion to fit the prevailing attitudes, and went on to make a study of compassion, teaching compassion cultivation to both medical students and the broader community.

Listen