William L. Randall
Professor in Gerontology
AB (Harvard), MDiv (Toronto), ThM (Princeton Seminary), EdD (Toronto)
Selected Publications
Books
Kenyon, G., Bohlmeijer, E., & Randall, W. (Eds.). (2010). Storying later life: Issues, investigations, and interventions in narrative gerontology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Randall, W., & McKim, E. (2008). Reading our lives: The poetics of growing old. New York: Oxford University Press.
Randall, W. , & Kenyon, G. (2001). Ordinary wisdom: Biographical aging and the journey of life. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Kenyon, G., & Randall, W. (1997). Restorying our lives: Personal growth through autobiographical reflection. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Randall, W. (1995). The stories we are: An essay on self-creation. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (2nd printing, 1997; translated into Turkish 1999).
Journal Articles & Book Chapters
Randall, W. (2010). Memory, metaphor, and meaning: Reading for wisdom in the stories of our lives. In G. Kenyon, E. Bohlmeijer, & W. Randall (Eds.). Storying later life: Issues, investigations, and interventions in narrative gerontology (pp. 20-38). New York: Oxford University Press.
Randall, W. (2010). The narrative complexity of our past: In praise of memory’s sins. Theory & Psychology. 20(2). 147-169
Randall. W. (2009). Transcending our stories: A narrative perspective on spirituality in later life. Critical Social Work. 10(1).
Randall, W. (2009). The anthropology of dementia: A narrative perspective. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(3). 322-4
Randall, W., & Phoenix, C. (2009). The problem with truth in qualitative interviews: Reflections from a narrative perspective. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise, 1(2). 125-140.
Randall, W. (2008). Getting my stories straight: A narrativist in quest of congruence. Invited contribution for special issue on critical gerontology edtited by Ruth Ray and Thomas Cole for Journal of Aging Studies, 22(2).
McKim, E., & Randall, W. (2007). From psychology to poetics: Aging as a literary process. Journal of Aging, Humanities, and the Arts, 1. 147-158.
Randall, W. (2007). Narrative and chaos: Acknowledging the novelty of lives-in-time. Interchange, 38(4). 367-389.
Randall, W. (2007). From computer to compost: Rethinking our metaphors for memory. Theory & Psychology, 17(5), 611-633.
Randall, W., Prior, S., & Skarborn, M. (2006). How listeners shape what tellers tell: Patterns of interaction in lifestory interviews and their impact on reminiscence by elderly interviewees. Journal of Aging Studies, 20. 381-396.
Randall, W., & McKim, A. E. (2004). Toward a poetics of aging: The links between literature and life. Narrative Inquiry. 14(2), 235-260.
Randall, W., & Kenyon, G. (2004). Time, story, and wisdom: Emerging themes in narrative gerontology. Canadian Journal on Aging. 23(3), 333-346.
Randall, W. (2004). If I knew then what I know now: A narrative perspective on rural ministry. Rural Social Work. Vol. 9, 170-179.
Clews, R., Randall, W., & Furlong, D. (2004). Research notes on interdisciplinary stories by rural helpers. Rural Social Work. Vol. 9, 189-198.
Randall, W., & Kenyon, G. (2002). Reminiscence as reading our lives: Toward a wisdom environment. In J. Webster & B. Haight (Eds.), Critical advances in reminiscence: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical perspectives (pp. 233-53). New York: Springer.
Randall, W. (2002). Teaching story: The pedagogical potential of narrative gerontology. Education & Ageing. 17:1. 55-70.
Randall, W., & Clews, R. (2001). The tales that bind: Toward a narrative model of rural helping. Rural Social Work. 6:2. 4-18.
Kenyon, G., & Randall, W. (2001). Narrative gerontology: Stories in theory, research, and practice. In G. Kenyon, P. Clark, & B. de Vries (Eds.), Narrative gerontology: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 3-18). New York: Springer.
Randall, W. (2001). Storied lives: Acquiring a narrative perspective on aging, identity, and everyday life. In G. Kenyon, P. Clark, & B. de Vries (Eds.), Narrative gerontology: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 31-62). New York: Springer (translated into Dutch, 2006).
Randall, W. (1999). Narrative intelligence and the novelty of our lives. Journal of Aging Studies. 13:1. 11-28.
Kenyon, G., & Randall, W. (1999). (guest co-editor). Introduction: Special issue on narrative gerontology. Journal of Aging Studies. 13:1. 1-5.
Randall, W. (1996). Restorying a life: Transformative learning and adult education. In J. Birren, G. Kenyon, J-E. Ruth, J. Schroots, & T. Svensson (Eds.), Aging and biography: Explorations in adult development (pp. 224-247). New York: Springer.
Research Interests
biographical aging, wisdom, reminiscence, lifestories, narrative care with older adults, narrative gerontology, narrative psychology, learning in later life, autobiographical learning, human services in rural communities
Of Note
The International Who's Who of Authors and Writers (2006). Contemporary Authors, Who's Who in Ontario, 2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 20th Century, and Outstanding People of the 20th Century (2nd Edition). Director of Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative. Recipient of Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award (2006). Honorary Research Associate, Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick; Project Director of The Fredericton 80+ Study; Adjunct Professor with The Union Institute, Cincinatti, Ohio; former minister with the United Church of Canada (1979-1990); Principal co-organizer of Narrative Matters 2002, 2004, and 2010; Co-recipient of the 2009 "Theoretical Developments in Social Gerontology Award" of the Gerontological Society of America; Institute Associate with The Taos Institute.
Courses Regularly Taught
GERO 2013 Introduction
to Gerontology
GERO 2673 Adult Development and Aging
GERO 3023 Aging and Health
GERO 3073 Narrative Gerontology
GERO 3103 Older Adults as Learners
GERO 3123 Counselling Older Adults
GERO 4023 Advanced Seminar in Gerontology