An educator and published independent scholar, Adrien Bledstein has led Bible study compared to ancient Near Eastern Literature with adults for four decades. Trained as a reading specialist to increase a person's independent level of reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing, she conducted a private practice for individuals, including graduate students and professional people. 

In the early 1990's following a viral respiratory infection she began experiencing periods of fatigue. September 1994, she woke up wheezing. After several antibiotics didn't help, she was diagnosed with a chronic lung disorder. Determined to avoid triggers, she experimented with masks which increased her energy. All the masks she tried were uncomfortable, burdensome, ineffective, or ugly, so she designed her own.  Mobilized by environmental illness and by the increasing incidence of breathing disorders in Chicago and worldwide, she applied for a patent and founded a corporation to produce effective, comfortable, attractive quality face masks for individuals to reduce exposure to airborne irritants and to feel good ("Getting Well").  From 2006-2008 Adrien and her daughter, Hannah Bledstein, a milliner trained in theater craft, were asked to develop a pollution sport mask for two international teams of elite athletes competing during heavy pollution in test events in preparation for Beijing games in August & September 2008.

Publications   Click on the title or request a copy of an article e-mail Adrien.

2007 "David at the Cave of Adullam, Depression and Hypergraphia," ed. J. Harold Ellens, Festschrift for Bruce M. Metzger, Vol. 2 (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press) 241-250

2006  "Woman's Humor in the Bible?" Humanist Judaism, XXXIV Number II Spring 2006, 14-16 (Reprinted with slight changes from 1991 and 1998)

2001 "Family Matters, a Multidimensional Reading of Miriam's Humiliation and Healing,"  Numbers 12, Biblical Research,  vol. XLVI, 1991 (sic) 2, 55-61

2000 "Tamar and the 'Coat of Many Colors,'"  Samuel and Kings, A Feminist Companion to the Bible, ed. A. Brenner (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press) 2/7:65-83

1997 United States Patent Number 5,701,892 December 30, 1997: "Multipurpose Face Mask that Maintains an Airspace between the Mask and the Wearer’s Face"

1995 "Dr. Tamar" a letter in Bible Review October 1995, 10-11

1993 "Was Eve Cursed? (or did a woman write Genesis?" Bible Review February 1993, IX:1, 42-45

1993  "Binder, Trickster, Heel and Hairy-man: Rereading Genesis 27 as a Trickster Tale Told by a Woman" Genesis, A Feminist Companion to the Bible, ed. A. Brenner (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press) 2:282-295

1993 "Female Companionships: If the Book of Ruth Were Written by a Woman . . . ." Ruth, A Feminist Companion to the Bible, ed. A. Brenner (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press) 3:116-133

1993 "Is Judges a Woman's Satire of Men Who Play God?" Judges, A Feminist Companion to the Bible, ed. A. Brenner (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press) 4:34-54

1992 "Was Habbiryậ a Healing Ritual Performed by a Woman in King David's House?" Biblical Research, 1992, 37:5-31

 1991  "Dear Harold Bloom" Lilith, Summer 1991, 16:3, 28     

1991 "So J Was a Woman?" Sh'ma, A Journal of Jewish Responsibility February 8,1991, 21:407, 49-51

1982 "Huldah" KAM-II Bulletin, 11/30/82

1981 "The Trials of Sarah," Judaism, Fall 1981, 30:4, 411-417

1977 "The Genesis of Humans: The Garden of Eden Revisited," Judaism, Spring 1977, 26:2, 187-200

Papers and Presentations 

2011 Design for America, Northwestern University, workshop about developing products for coping with asthma with students from seven universities.

2011 "Performing Job as Comedy: The Trouble with Being Earnest"Society of Biblical Literature, London, Seminar on the Book of Job.

2010 Intellectual Property Law "Protecting Your Ideas," COS Law Workshop, Golder College Prep, Chicago, Fridays May 7 & October 8, 2010, Meet an Inventor: Adrien Bledstein, Founder/President – I Can Breathe!® Masks

2009 "Abuse and Recovery: 2 Samuel 13:1-22, Telling the Story," Society of Biblical Literature, Rome, Methods in Hebrew Bible Studies: Text and Context: New Approaches; 2008 SBL, Boston, MA Saturday, Psychology and Biblical Studies Section, S22-128 Abuse and Healing in Biblical Texts, November. Review by Robin Gallaher Branch, Professor, Biblical Studies Crichton College, Memphis 

2009 "Agony, Laughter, and Healing: Performing Job as Tragicomedy," Society of Biblical Literature, Rome, Biblical Scholarship and Disabilities: Ancient Medicine and Healing Practices; 2008 Chicago Society for Biblical Research, 4/5/08

2007 "Laughter in the Book of Job?" Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, CA, November 18th.

2006 "David’s Rupture with God, Depression, and Recovery," Society of Biblical Literature, Washington DC, November 19th

2005 "David at the Cave of Adullam: Depression and Hypergraphia," Society of Biblical Literature, Philadelphia, November 19th

2005 "'Against them, my son, be warned?"' Reading Ecclesiastes as a Satire Written by a Woman," Society of Biblical Literature, Philadelphia, November

2003 "Parallel Triangles: Bata and Uriah, Beautiful Wife and Ruler," Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, November

2002 "Zipporah at a Crossroads" Society of Biblical Literature, Toronto, November

1992 "Sons of Gods, Angels, and Kings: Blurred Boundaries between Mortal and Divine,"  Society of Biblical Literature, San Francisco, November