Laurie Riedman, Author
I write to find my voice. I write to share my thoughts, fears, beliefs and observations of the world around me.
I write to uncover what is true.
“Writing is the bridge that connects the soul of the writer with the hearts of the readers.”
Writing is a form of exploration.
I believe that words worth writing (and reading) urge self-discovery. I write to find my voice. I write to share my thoughts, fears, beliefs and observations of the world around me. I write to uncover what is true.
Words, help me expand and stretch my beliefs sometimes to their limits. My hope is that my words help you, my readers, discover something new and expand your limits too.
About Laurie
I am a writer and storyteller who believes that sharing our words and stories helps us heal and own who we are. After a 35-year-career running my own PR and marketing firm, I have published a memoir Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a JunkYard Girl, offering a glimpse of what it was like to grow up living smack dab in a junkyard in rural Connecticut in the 60’s and 70’s. My stories in this collection reveal joy amid lost innocence and a lifesaving resilience. My writing has been published in two anthologies—one I co-edited with Susan Walter titled Badass Sisterhood and Soul Shine. I have also published essays in Bluff and Vine.
Appearances on Podcasts
Listen in as Laurie and Lisa chat about writing and how the writing and publishing journey can be healing, particularly if you have experienced trauma. Laurie shares a surprising moment when she pushed the publish button on her memoir Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From A Junkyard Girl and how writing helped her connect with the joy and love that was there among the challenges in her childhood.
Join Carrie and Laurie for a fun and lively conversation about Laurie’s essay, Pleasure Practice, accepted and published in Sensual Soul Shine, a collection of stories from women reclaiming their femininity and sensuality.
The Void Project, hosted by Kira Higgs, shares personal stories about real journeys of discovery. We talk with people who pared down. They share their experiences, lessons learned, and some of the wonders that resulted. In this episode, Laurie Riedman shares how, by paying attention to our values as they evolve and refine, we can make choices that lead to the right things at the right time, including knowing when and how to let things go.
Books by Laurie Riedman
Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a Junkyard Girl, published in 2024, offers a glimpse of what it was like to grow up living smack dab in the middle of a junkyard in rural Connecticut. In this memoir, Laurie Riedman shares how love can grow among discarded car parts, a rusted-out bus, and a crazy cast of real and imagined characters.
The stories tell of a childhood—unique and filled with happiness and trauma. Laurie bravely attempts to connect the dots, some painfully clear and others frustratingly fuzzy, of her fractured memory.
The collection is arranged by theme rather than chronologically and features four parts Life as a Junkyard Girl; I am Junk; The Power of Pretend and Diamonds in the Dirt.
“I chose to tell my story as a collection of short stories and in a non-linear fashion because this allowed me to bridge those gaps and more clearly share the arc of where I’ve been and where I am. Time jumps even within a single story because that is how I could tie the gaps together and see the themes emerge,”
By sharing and owning the painful truth of her life, the author hopes to inspire others to mine the gifts in their lives and own their own stories.
What Readers are Saying
Just Out
Soul Shine, Unbound Press
This anthology is a collection of stories by 11 women writers, including Laurie. Their stories, essays, and poems are centered on reclamation and surrendering to the sensuality, femininity, and passion within us all.
An essay Laurie wrote titled Pleasure Practice was published in this Anthology by Unbound Press from the UK. Available on Amazon. See link below.
Badass Sisterhood: An Anthology
This anthology was born when 11 women writers connected during the Pandemic in an online writing community. The book is the result of their collective, organic alchemy: stories offering a wide variety of topics, writing styles and insights. Readers can discover their passion, inspiration, courage and connection in the words of these women who created Badass Sisterhood – a community of badass women writers. You can purchase this book here:
Badass Sisterhood Press
Badass Sisterhood Press was founded in 2023 with the publication of Badass Sisterhood: An Anthology. Co-founders, Susan Walter and Laurie Riedman, are already working on a second Anthology to showcase the voices of female writers.
Stay tuned for another edition!
More About Laurie Riedman
I am a writer and storyteller who believes that sharing our words and stories helps us heal and own who we are. After a 35-year-career running my own PR and marketing firm, I have published a memoir Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a JunkYard Girl, offering a glimpse of what it was like to grow up living smack dab in a junkyard in rural Connecticut in the 60’s and 70’s. My stories in this collection reveal joy amid lost innocence and a lifesaving resilience. My writing has been published in two anthologies—one I co-edited with Susan Walter titled Badass Sisterhood and the forthcoming Soul Shine (Unbound Press, expected 2024) I have also published essays in Bluff and Vine.
I’ve recently transitioned my consulting business to coaching and founded b.u. Coaching. I feel fully alive when I can support others – who like me – seek to embrace their truth and be their best self in their personal and professional life. I believe that when we take the time to listen, our path becomes clear. Perhaps Rumi says this best:
“Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.”
I live in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Married for 35 years to my life partner Rich, who is the most loving and patient man on the planet. Together we raised three amazing daughters — Elizabeth, Beck, and Hannah— and founded two successful companies. We also co-facilitate couples retreats to help other couples create relationships of intimate and authentic connection.
If I’m not writing or coaching, I’m likely experimenting with a new plant-based recipe, hiking, biking, or traveling with family and friends.