Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life

A “reflective, eloquent [and] inspiringly written” (The New York Times) collection of essays about learning to live richly in the face of loss   “Astonishing . . . sometimes heartbreaking . . . sometimes hilarious.”—The Boston Globe   WINNER OF THE BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE AWARD’S BEST SPIRITUAL BOOK Philip Simmons was just thirty-five years old in 1993 when he learned that he had ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was told he had less than five years to live. As a young husband and father, and at the start of a promising literary career, he suddenly had to learn the art of dying. Nine years later, he succeeded, against the odds, in learning the art of living. In this surprisingly joyous and spirit-renewing book, he chronicles his search for peace and his deepening relationship with the mystery of everyday life.    From our first faltering steps, Simmons says, we may fall into disappointment or grief, fall into or out of love, fall from youth or health. And though we have little choice as to the timing or means of our descent, we may, as he affirms, “fall with grace, to grace.” With humor, hard-earned wisdom, and a keen eye for life’s lessons—whether drawn from great poetry or visits to the town dump—Simmons shares his discovery that even at times of great sorrow we may find profound freedom. And by sharing the wonder of his daily life, he offers us the gift of connecting more deeply and joyously with our own.

About the Author :
Philip Simmons was an associate professor of English at Lake Forest College in Illinois, where he taught literature and creative writing for nine years before he was diagnosed with ALS. His literary scholarship has been published widely and his short fiction has appeared in Playboy, TriQuarterly, Ploughshares, and the Massachusetts Review, among other magazines. He died in 2002.

Review :
Praise for Philip Simmons and Learning to Fall   “Reflective, eloquent . . . inspiringly written.”—The New York Times “Astonishing . . . sometimes heartbreaking . . . sometimes hilarious.”—The Boston Globe   “Philip Simmons writes with clarity and a passion for honesty, laced with wit. An extraordinary book.”—Elaine Pagels, Princeton University, author of The Gnostic Gospels   “Generous and genuine, like water from a deep well, halfway between a meditation and a dance, this book is an act of grace.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry   “Learning to Fall is for anyone who loves life—or needs to love it more . . . A wonderful achievement.”—Balfour Mount, M.D., Professor of Palliative Medicine, McGill University “Not only has Philip Simmons figured out the meaning of life for himself; with prodigious literary grace he has figured out how to tell us too. Required reading for Basic Humanity 101.”—Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author of Invisible Lines of Connection   “May become a spiritual classic—deservedly.”—Booklist “As intelligent as it is inspirational, Learning to Fall glows with vitality and honest hope.”—Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and Original Self   “Gentle, beautifully realized, and completely inspirational. A wonderful meditation on fallibility in a world of grace.”—Scott Turow  “Brilliant, earthy, amusing, and tough . . . a heroic journey to awareness taken with compassion and love—for others and for himself . . . His work will be of interest to that vast audience of readers who seek enlightenment about the deepest mysteries of life.”—Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, former editor, The New York Times Book Review “Phil Simmons’s eloquence and clarity will bring tears, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose to both our patients and ourselves.”—Dan Lowenstein, M.D., Dean for Medical Education, Harvard Medical School  “Learning to Fall is a wonderfully open—arms flung wide, running to meet the new day—affirmation of life in the face of impending death. This is a book for all those who know that life is hard, but may have forgotten that it is also full of marvelous grace.”—Rev. Dr. Leroy Rouner, Boston University