She's particularly grateful for the head start this concentrated writing time is giving her on her new job — as a tenure-track professor in Fordham University's law school and, possibly, co-director of its Crowley Human Rights Center.
With the completed project, Powell will have made a significant contribution to legal scholarship. Indeed, it was the potential to identify a scholarly and human rights "language to use internationally and in social justice at home" that attracted Powell to the work.
And so far, Jerusalem seems a fruitful environment for the young scholar.
"People on both sides of the conflict are very opinionated," Powell says. "And unlike the picture that we get through the American media, I'm finding there's such a wide range of opinion in Israeli society alone … It's been fascinating."
But is she having fun?
"I don't know if ‘fun' is the right word, but unlike living in New York City, where everything is very fast paced and it's hard to slow down to reflect and spend time with people you care about, I have had time to spend time with people here, to get to know people — and a wide range of people: Israelis, Palestinians, people I've met in the expatriate community."
But right now, Powell's focus is on her pregnancy. She's due any day now.
"Basically, our parents are all just hoping the baby gets here before the war does," she says.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
