Falling Into a Good Life by Laurel Richardson
Please join us for a celebration of Falling Into a Good Life with author Laurel Richardson, and Paper Stars Press publisher, Patricia Leavy.
When: June 3, 2026 19:00 (London Time)
Where: Online, via Zoom
FREE event
About the Book
An inspiring memoir that defies stereotypes about women, aging, and what is possible when we rebuild our lives from the inside out.
What if the life you thought was ending was actually clearing space for something better? Laurel Richardson tells the miraculous story of surviving a devastating fall down thirteen steps that left her unconscious with a broken neck, back, arm, ribs, eye socket, and a severe concussion. After extensive rehabilitation, Richardson moves into a senior independent living community. There, she discovers friendship, belonging, and the freedom to live authentically.
Falling Into a Good Life is both a memoir and a testament: that even in descent, there is art; even in loss, there is legacy; and even in falling, there is the chance to rise into something astonishing. The precision and emotional resonance of Richardson’s prose makes the memoir a rare fusion of lived experience and literary artistry. It is a powerful testament to survival, reinvention, and the courage to create joy in unexpected places. A good life isn’t stumbled into—it’s shaped, chosen, and, finally, gratefully lived.
Laurel Richardson is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Ohio State University. She is a trailblazing researcher and memoirist whose work has insisted that every life—especially those pushed to the margins—deserves to be heard in its own voice. A feminist scholar and stylistic innovator, she reimagined what social science could be, weaving narrative, poetry, and theory that honors lived experience and challenges the hierarchies that silence it. Her writing and teaching have emboldened generations to speak truth with courage, craft, and compassion. She is the mother of two, grandmother of two, and companion to a spirited Cavachon puppy, Simcha. She lives in Worthington, Ohio, where she continues to write toward justice, beauty, and the possibility of a good life. She is the award-winning author of twelve books, including The New Other Woman, Fields of Play, Writing Strategies, Seven Minutes from Home, Lone Twin, and A Story of a Marriage through Dementia and Beyond.
Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author, arts advocate, publisher, and internationally recognized leader in research design and arts-based research.She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of Gender Studies, and Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology at Stonehill College. She has authored, coauthored, and edited over 50 books, earning critical and commercial success in both nonfiction and fiction, her work has been translated into numerous languages, and she has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. Her books have earned more than 100 awards. Over the course of her career, she has served as creator and editor of 10 book series with leading academic publishers, and she cofounded Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal. She has received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” Please visit www.patricialeavy.com for more information.
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