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.

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