Chat with Women Radio
interview about A Leg to Stand On
(skip to 30:40)
My memoir, A Leg to Stand On, an Amputee's Walk into Motherhood, was published by She Writes Press and was a finalist for the Indie Excellence Book Awards.
Here are what people are saying about A Leg to Stand On.
““You cannot come away from reading this book without learning about forgiveness, and courage, and the strength of love and family. Read it.””
““Colleen Haggerty has written THE inspirational book for the ages. Not because she lost a leg in a car accident and not because she overcame the physical challenges incorporated with that event but because she had the courage to share her emotional trials with the world.””
““A terrific read. I was crying and cheering my way through the book. Colleen’s courage and strength are inspiring.””
Below are a collection of anthologies of which I am a contributor
Beyond Belief, the Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religion, one of the 50 notable nonfiction books of 2013 by The Washington Post, addresses what happens when women of extreme religions decide to walk away. Editors Susan Tive and Cami Ostman have compiled a collection of powerful personal stories written by women of varying ages, races, and religious backgrounds who share one commonality: they’ve all experienced and rejected extreme religions.
Dancing at the Shame Prom, Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small, edited by Amy Ferris and Hollye Dexter is full of stories that talk about the dark, forbidden, scary feelings that keep us from fully living our lives. In my essay, Residual Shame, I share my feelings of shame about being disabled.
Here's what people are saying:
““Wise, funny, and undeniably smart, this collection about shame lifts the stigma, sheds new light, and is both very human and humane.” ”
““Shame degrades the spirit, steals hope, and stunts growth; Dancing at the Shame Prom does the opposite. It’s therapy for the soul - as cathartic for the reader as for the powerful and triumphant women who wrote it.””
In He Said What?, Women Write About Moments When Everything Changed, edited by Victoria Zackheim, 25 gifted women share profoundly personal moments in which a man in their life said something—good or bad—that changed them irrevocably. I share my essay, Brotherly Love, penned using my husband's surname, Colleen Robinson, that tells the story of when my brother told me he has AIDS.
In May of 2010, The Spirit of a Woman, Stories to Empower and Inspire, edited by Terry Laslzo-Gopadze, was released to high endorsements for its authentic, engaging and universal stories. My story, No Apologies Necessary, shares the story of meeting the man who hit me with his car, causing the loss of my leg, and our reconciliation.
Here’s what people are saying:
““The Spirit of a Woman is filled with stories from women who at key points in their lives, acted authentically; any one of them could be a role-model who inspires you to do what is true for you.” ”
““Knowledge that matters, that helps us to live, comes to us through honest stories. And these only surface because of the courage of those who admit to the messy splendor of living. In her collection, The Spirit of a Woman, Terry László-Gopadze has gathered through her own deep listening a remarkable host of such stories from wise women from around the world. And so the medicine here is twofold: demonstrations of how to be a spirit here on earth and living examples of how the feminine works to enliven our place in the Universe. This book will help you meet yourself and the world.””