Laurie Mylroie - Embedded Character Flaw

Submitted by Bouvier Renee (United States), Mar 20, 2009 at 15:22

I had the pleasure (and sometimes displeasure) of spending two semesters studying with Laurie Mylroie during the summer of 1979 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the tutelage of Professors Amatzia Baram and Yonah Alexander. At the time, Ms. Mylroie was a vibrant 26 year old woman just starting her graduate studies at Harvard University. I was a vibrant young 23 year old just having completed two distinguished programs in France at the Sorbonne and the University of Tours before continuing my studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

What struck me as strange was the very fact that she created an entourage of not-too-bright, nineteen-year-old students easily assuaged and swayed by her academic credentials. These nineteen year olds literally danced to her beck and call, so to speak. I felt Mylroie's wrath, when I admonished and appropriately put one of her groupies in her rightful place.

We were in Hebron during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan interviewing a formerly jailed Palestinian medical doctor. Because I suffered from the potentially fatal disease, lupus, I was forced to drink water to take medication to allieve chronic abdominal pain (vasculitis of the colon). One of Mylroie's groupies verbally attacked me in front of two professors and this Palestinian doctor for taking my medicine in his presence. Her little groupie actually would not shut her mouth until I literally threatened her with possible physical force. As a consequence, the director of the academic program called me to his office, but I was able to make a deal with him, which turned into Mylroie's disadvantage.

Thanks to Mylroie and her favorite female, nineteen year old student, I was given the time to go off on my own to perform most valuable fieldwork in Arab East Jerusalem and in the West Bank without having the hindrance of a crazy woman and her groupies. After the episode, Mylroie was actually afraid to come near me. If she did speak with me, she stood at least seven feet from me. How she ever succeeded in swaying so many people, especially men, is beyond my comprehension. It just demonstrates that some men are just as cheap as women, when it comes to the opposite sex. What other explanation is there?

I am astounded that she got so far. But thanks to crazy Laurie Mylroie and her young groupies, I was able to bond with some Palestinian Arab locals, creating friendships now lasting decades through marriage, childbirths, sickness, and health. These friendships I so dearly cherish. In spite of crazy Mylroie and her groupies, I was able to bond with a people I was inculcated to fear and hate.

I would love to sit down and speak with the men, who were formerly so assuaged by her. What was it that drew you to her? She was never a brilliant woman. What was it?

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