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  • © 2016

Seven Minutes from Home

An American Daughter’s Story

  • Seven Minutes from Home models what riveting contemporary social-science writing looks like, and it offers an extended set of discussion questions, projects and creative writing exercises inviting readers to discover and explore their own life stories seven minutes from their homes
  • With a poet’s lyricism and a sociologist’s insight, Richardson’s collection of linked stories, written chronologically, create a multifaceted narrative of how the public and the private, the past and the present, and the local and the global intersect
  • Richardson’s renowned book, Fields of Play (1997) is about constructing a life inside the academic world; Seven Minutes from Home is about constructing a life outside the academic world
  • Coming from a mixed-marriage and bi-cultural childhood, the sociologist Richardson is acutely sensitive to diversity in American society; in Seven Minutes from Home she writes a nuanced and compelling narrative of how the strengths of a mixed heritage have created an everyday life that honors that heritage and empowers her

Part of the book series: Personal/Public Scholarship (PEPUSCH)

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Table of contents (34 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Roots

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Chicago Born

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 3-7
  3. Neighborhoods 1980–2000

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 9-9
    2. 1980: Such a Yellow House

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 11-12
    3. 1985: Come Walk with Me

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 13-16
    4. 1986: Errands by Foot

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 17-19
    5. 1992: The Block Party

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 21-27
    6. 1996: Blue Wednesday

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 29-34
    7. 1997: Second Acts

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 35-43
    8. 1998: Home Alone

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 45-49
    9. 1998: Simply White

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 51-54
    10. 1999: New Year’s Eve

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 55-59
    11. 2000: New Year, New Century, New Millenial

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 61-61
  4. Intersecting Worlds 2001–2003

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63
    2. 2001: Our Small World

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 65-71
    3. 2001: What is Black & White & Red all Over?

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 73-73
    4. 2002: Memorial Day Parade

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 75-76
    5. 2002: Chez Provence

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 77-80
    6. 2002: The Dairy Queen

      • Laurel Richardson
      Pages 81-84

About this book

"Book: An American Daughter’s Story is a collection of linked stories written chronologically from 1980–2015. They create a multifaceted narrative of how the public and the private, the past and present, the local and global, intersect. With earnest reflection, modesty and humor, Laurel Richardson introduces the reader to her Ohio neighborhoods, friends, family, writers and therapy dogs. She ages, retires and frets over her droopy eyebrow. Her town’s local stores close; police bust heroin dealers; September 11th happens; universities corporatize; poetry venues transform. All this and much more as Richardson honors the complexity and vibrancy of America, and her life within it. Richardson’s renowned book, Fields of Play (1997) is about constructing a life inside the academy; Seven Minutes from Home is about constructing a life outside the academy. This extraordinary example of literary sociology can be read for pleasure, adopted in book clubs, or used in courses in American Studies, communication, creative writing, narrative, qualitative research, sociology, cultural studies and women’s studies. An appendix offers discussion questions, research projects and creative writing exercises.


“A tour de force, the penultimate statement from gifted writer Laurel Richardson. Here an American daughter’s story comes home.” – Norman Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


“The stories are riveting; you will not be able to stop reading.” – Carolyn Ellis, University of South Florida


“An exemplar for how good social science should be written.” – Jessica Smartt Gullion, Texas Woman’s University


“A love letter to a culture and a life well-lived.” – Anne Harris, Monash University


“Highly recommended for courses in sociology, women’s studies and creative writing.” – Mary Margaret Fonow, Arizona State University

Laurel Richardson, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University, has received a Life-Time Achievement Award in Qualitative Research, a Cooley Book Award, and two Affirmative-Action awards. She writes daily. She is most proud of her therapy dogs’ work with special-needs children. 
"


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Seven Minutes from Home

  • Book Subtitle: An American Daughter’s Story

  • Authors: Laurel Richardson

  • Series Title: Personal/Public Scholarship

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-543-2

  • Publisher: SensePublishers Rotterdam

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature B.V. 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-6300-543-2Published: 15 July 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 200

  • Topics: Education, general

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access