Retired College Professor Robert Michael Recognized for Continuing Personal & Professional Pursuits in Senior Years

Nashville, TN, December 02, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Robert Michael doesn't see retirement as a time for rest and relaxation. Instead, it's an opportunity to continue his life pursuits. For continuing to work in his academic field and publishing both professional and personal literature after retirement, Pearlsong Press is honoring the 71-year-old Murfreesboro, TN resident as its "Splendid Senior Among Us" for November 2007.

Before retiring as a college professor at age 65 in 2001, Michael taught European history, worked as an editor, and was a visiting lecturer at many universities in America and around the world. He has published more than 50 articles and 11 books on the Holocaust (including some published after he retired from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), and was the first professor to offer a distance learning (online) course on the Holocaust.

Since retirement, Michael has published works ranging from academic books, papers, and articles to historically and personally inspired poetry. The majority of his post-retirement academic publications revolve around the topic of anti-Semitism, as well as European and Jewish history.

These interests and passions are also found in Michael's poetry. For Michael, poetry is an opportunity to further consider the history he spent his career teaching, and to articulate what it means to him on a personal level. "A lot of my exploring is within," he says. "Poetry is wonderful for that."

Although he wrote poetry before retirement, the majority of Michael's poetic work was published after age 65, in the Menorah Review and in anthologies such as Exploding Ink and Whispers of Inspiration.

Michael has some advice for those contemplating retirement: "Don't retire from something, retire to something. It's a great time to explore parts of yourself, like abilities and interests that you neglected before."

Taking his own advice, Michael continues to teach in addition to writing. Currently he is teaching World Civilization at Middle Tennessee State University, while also conducting an online course on the History of American Anti-Semitism at Florida Gulf Coast University. Even though he is now settled in Murfreesboro, TN after moving from Massachusetts to Florida, Michael is still sharing his passion for history and life with students and readers across the country and around the world.

As the "Splendid Senior Among Us" honoree for November 2007, Michael receives a certificate and an autographed copy of "Splendid Seniors: Great Lives, Great Deeds" by Jack Adler, an original trade paperback published by Pearlsong Press in March 2007. "Splendid Seniors" celebrates 52 men and women through history who accomplished great things after age 65.

Pearlsong Press is sponsoring the year-long "Splendid Seniors Among Us" program in conjunction with publication of Adler's book in order to honor seniors who are living inspiration. To nominate someone for the "Splendid Seniors Among Us" program, which runs through February 2008, see the Pearlsong Press website at www.pearlsong.com.

Pearlsong Press, founded in 2003 by psychologist and journalist Peggy Elam, Ph.D, specializes in books and resources that entertain while expanding perspectives on the self and the world.

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