Irene Pollin’s book has garnered great attention from several media outlets!
Below are links to some of the coverage. Feel free to check out these interesting articles and interviews (Click on the highlighted links).
Interview on ESPN 980 with Andy Pollin
Interview on WTOP part one with Mark Lewis
2nd Interview on WTOP part two with Mark Lewis
Washington Post: “At 92, Irene Pollin tells her story and spares no details” by Karen Heller
Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU
Now that my book is completed and “out,” available on Amazon, and at Politics and Prose Bookstore here in Washington; and having done a wonderful and fun presentation at Sixth and I Synagogue also here in Washington, I’m beginning to get feedback from various people.
It has been fascinating to me.
In writing this book, I always wondered who would be interested. Men?, Women? And, what parts of the story would they relate to. I am now beginning to get that…..and I love it!
What’s really nice is hearing from several people that they stayed up all night reading my book! That really makes me feel good; I wanted so much for the book to be a good read.
The other comment that I love is people crying in the first part and laughing in the latter parts. They got it!
So it was worth all the hard work!
Thanks to my son Robert and his wife, Sigrid, for “giving” this to me as a birthday present five years ago.
Completing my last, and most recent book, I realized that, over the years, I have written three different books, all with three different goals, for three different audiences. Although, it could still be the same reader.
To explain myself, let me begin with book one.
Considering the fact that I don’t consider myself a writer, book one was the most difficult. I told a senior editor of one of the most prestigious publishing houses that I would have it done in three months.
It it took me ten years.
I had written papers and articles but never a book. I learned! The hard way!
But, I was determined to complete it because I had a strong incentive: I had a strong and proven message to get across to many people, patients, and families coping with long-term chronic illness.
A year later, I had another, strong, incentive – how to reach out to the thousands of health professionals with my short-term counseling model – which I called Medical Crisis Counseling. It had been so successful for me and the professionals I trained that I wanted to fill the needs. This one, however, after completing book one, was easier to do. By now, I had thoroughly integrated the model and was able to “teach” it. And I had a great publisher!
I felt fulfilled – no more books! It was hard but worth it!
Now – 22 years later – I did it again. I wrote another book, but this time with no strong incentive or clear goal. It was my son’s and daughter-in-law’s idea. Write about your life.
Not wishing to hurt their feelings, I began four years ago.
What about my life? What’s the story? I knew the details but not the story.
Now that it is completed, I know the story. For me, the goal, and the incentive was to find the story.
And, find it, I did.
I am glad I wrote it. This one was more for me than the reader. I am grateful for what I learned. I hope the reader will learn something about themselves through my experiences. I told you earlier, I always like to have a goal!
Join Irene Pollin at Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 12th at 7 p.m. for a very special evening as she previews her upcoming book: Irene and Abe: An Unexpected Life.
Mrs. Pollin will be in conversation with George Solomon, the assistant managing editor for sports at The Washington Post from 1975 to 2003 and a professor of sports journalism at Philip Merrill College of Journalism at University of Maryland. A book signing to follow the event.
To secure tickets for the event, visit the event page here.
This event is hosted by: Sue and Sandy Greenberg, Betsy and Gary Nabel, Sheila Rogovin and Stewart Aledort, Fern Schad and Alfred Moses, Martha Slagle
Join Irene Pollin at Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 12th at 7 p.m. for a very special evening as she previews her upcoming book: Irene and Abe: An Unexpected Life.
Mrs. Pollin will be in conversation with George Solomon, the assistant managing editor for sports at The Washington Post from 1975 to 2003 and a professor of sports journalism at Philip Merrill College of Journalism at University of Maryland. A book signing to follow the event.
To secure tickets for the event, visit the event page here.
This event is hosted by: Sue and Sandy Greenberg, Betsy and Gary Nabel, Sheila Rogovin and Stewart Aledort, Fern Schad and Alfred Moses, Martha Slagle
Looking back at my marriage to Abe, I would compare the strength of our marriage to a chain. And I see now what held it together, sometimes through major efforts to break it.
It seems to me now that over the 64 years of our marriage, rather than “glue,” it was the addition of one link of “chain” at a time that held us together when things got rough.
I won’t name all the rough things. (and some were quite rough) but I would say that several of these difficulties often take a marriage down.
One, early in our marriage, was dealing with sick children. And we had two. It is quite common when there are sick children in a family that require major care, time, responsibility, and decision making; couples don’t make it.
But this is when Abe and I worked together in tandem; this is when we instinctively knew our roles…and we came through. This is when we created our first link in the invisible chain – inextricably linked -that we were creating.
I will mention one more at another time. I’m not including it here because it also involved outside forces.
I’m glad that Abe and I weren’t aware that we were building this chain. I’m glad that we did it out of our own instincts and that it held together for as long as we needed it.
Recently I have seen a number of newspaper articles discussing the increase of depression in the middle class. There has also been an increase in the use of drugs in a number of new areas across the country. What’s happening?
This topic may surprise some readers of this blog. Most of you know me as: Irene Pollin, wife of Abe Pollin and sports team co-owner with Abe. But another part of my life has been spent as a psychotherapist, social worker for forty two years!
Today I’d like to give my diagnosis of the problem. Of course, part of it is economic; we are in the beginning of a major economic transition.
But, since I am not an economist (my son Robert is), I will offer my take on one source of the problem.
I believe part of the depression is due to “life” as it is today, and current expectations. Until we lower our expectations recognizing the reality of life today, many of us will be depressed. When the reality hits that our expectations are not going to be realized, then we will be disappointed.
Fortunately, we have it in our power to control it. If we can begin to make the adjustment of our goals, we can be more content.
Let’s use me as an example: I am a perfectionist! I have always set very high goals and I have worked hard to achieve most of them. I am also, I discovered, a perfectionist in a hurry.
And, that is not a good combination. Speed + perfectionism don’t go well together.
But I have also learned that if I adjust my goals, I don’t get disappointed, or depressed.
It works!
Question: Is it normal to look at a picture of someone in a newspaper or on-line, discover a few facts about them, and form an idea of what that person is really like?
I think all of us do that to some degree, really without thinking much about it.
But, when you are a writer and have access to media and then write your improvised thoughts as though they are factual, then you are being dishonest; presenting ideas to the public which appear correct, but, in fact, are just the writer’s aberration.
What I am saying is based on fact and personal experience.
I just discovered an on-line article in something called, “Next Impulse Sports.” Among other things, the article states stating that the NBA lottery is “clearly rigged.”
I don’t know if it is or isn’t but I am mentioned in the article because in 2009, when I was representing the Wizards, I was declared the winner.
Well, I am not here to argue about lottery rigging, but what’s funny is the author’s assessing my reason for being there: “We can’t confirm whether or not she knew what she was attending.”
After spending forty-six years in the NBA, as an owner, how stupid does this writer think I am? In fact, some years earlier, I also attended the NBA Lottery and witnessed the behind the scenes drawing of the lottery numbers.
Attempting to learn about Next Impulse Sports, I researched and, according to their LinkedIn page, it is supposed to be a site to visit when someone wants to “waste time at work.”
Did I just waste mine?
It’s a time when roles have changed.
Let’s address what happens on an individual basis: Even though women are now considered fit for battle, and men being nursery school teachers, why is it still so difficult for many people to treat someone in a “different” role with a level of discomfort?
Strange!
Out of place?
How long will it take society to accept that people, all people, can assume many roles? The soldier can put on the sexiest nightgown for her husband when she comes home after duty and the nursery school teacher can slam the hockey player on his team so hard he sees stars.
I chose to go back to school to become a psychiatric social worker and work with chronically ill patients and families after I lost two children. But as an owner in the NBA, the nurse working alongside me at Children’s Hospital told me to go back where I belong. Just as I joined the American University Board and the general counsel wanted to talk to Abe, I told him, he had me.
The world has changed but so many people still have difficulty accepting people as who they are, their skills, and their persona.
We take on many different roles in our lives today. I know I have and continue to. I don’t want to be seen in only one way. I was Abe’s wife, my children’s mother, a mental health professional, a corporate board member, and I’ve loved being all of the above. I want to be proud that in each role, I earned my way, myself; because of the hard work and because I brought a variety of experience to each role.
I was Irene before I met Abe; I was Irene of Irene and Abe; and now I am Irene, after Abe.
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From the Heart 