Torch: U.S. Volume LXIV Spring 2015 | Page 7

JCL Holds Release Party for Magistra's First Novel

One single “what if” question during a discussion over Rick Riordan’s books became a hypothetical conversation that, five years later, turned into the novel Gods of Arcadia: Daughter of Athena. The JCL at John Paul Stevens High School hosted a party on Nov. 14, 2014 for the release of Dr. Andrea Stehle’s first novel.

“When I held the first printed copy in my hands, I almost cried,” Stehle said. “It was as emotional as when my daughters were born.” As a reader, Stehle always loved fantasy, romance and Sci-Fi stories. The passion she had for reading turned into a passion for writing as well.

“Even as a kid, I loved the idea of creating a story that I could share with others, something that people could read even after I’m gone,” Stehle said. “I wrote the story based upon what I love to read, making the audience people who love fantasy and mythology.”

During her 25 years as a Latin teacher, Stehle wanted her students to be the first group of people she shared her story with. “I wanted to have the release party at Stevens because many of my Latin students over the years have shared my love of mythology,” Stehle said. “Some of them even helped edit parts of Gods of Arcadia. Sharing that day with my students just seemed perfect.”

The Gods of Arcadia: Daughter of Athena tells the story of a Post-Mythical world – a future human colony on another planet controlled by the gods of ancient Greece. As the Daughter of Athena struggles against the troublesome Son of Ares, she learns a secret the Olympians didn’t want mankind to know. The book can be purchased on Amazon.com and is available for the Kindle. Andrea Stehle will be at the Bazaar at Nationals at Trinity this summer selling signed copies of Gods of Arcadia: Daughter of Athena.

Allie Golding, Texas JCLer

Left: A timelapse video of the Massachusetts JCL Classics Day room at Boston University filling up during registration.

BOOK RELEASE · Torch:U.S. · Spring 2015

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Above: The cover of Magistra Stehle's new book, Gods of Arcadia: Daughter of Athena. Copies will be sold at the 2015 National Convention at Trinity University.

MASSACHUSETTS

On Dec. 5, 2014, MassJCL held its annual Classics Day at Boston University. Classics Day, this year run by our First Vice President, Julia Pan, mimics a day at college and offers university-style lectures taught by real professors to high school JCLers. Hosting more than 700 Classics enthusiasts from all around the state, Classics Day boasted workshops such as “The Black Odyssey: Intersectionality of the Classics and Race” and “Mythology and Politics: The Connection between Greek Tragedy and Democracy.” The theme of this year’s event was “Mythology: Religion of Yore,” inspiring numerous skits in our annual skit competition, which offered the winners whole school points at State Convention. The winning skit from this year was done by Barnstable High School and was a parody of “Cell Block Tango” from the Broadway show, Chicago. However, instead of having cell inmates, Barnstable highlighted three women from mythology who killed their lovers, adding a twist at the end by including Dido, who, instead of killing her lover, was actually herself killed by him (albeit indirectly). Classics Day gave students a chance to learn about the culture behind the civilizations of Greece and Rome and appreciate not only their languages, but their rich histories.

Linda Qin, Massachusetts JCL Editor