Join us for a powerful and deeply human conversation as journalist and author Keith O’Brien, writer of Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe, sits down with Luella Kenny, a former Love Canal resident and activist whose story is central to O’Brien’s acclaimed book. Presented as the spring keynote for the University at Buffalo Archives exhibition Toxic Archives: Voices from Love Canal, this event brings together storytelling, lived experience, and historical memory in a way rarely seen in public programs on Love Canal.

Moderated by John Fiege, Assistant Professor in the University at Buffalo Department of Media Study and an affiliate of the Department of Environment and Sustainability, O’Brien and Kenny will explore how Paradise Falls reframes the public memory of Love Canal, recovering the voices of ordinary residents whose courage reshaped environmental policy in the United States. Kenny will reflect on her own journey, revisiting the experiences that drove her advocacy and scientific investigation, and sharing what it means to return to these memories decades later. Together, the speakers will connect the history of Love Canal to urgent questions of environmental justice today, inviting the audience to consider how communities can confront harm, fight for accountability, and preserve their stories.

This conversation will be recorded live for the Chrysalis podcast, hosted by John Fiege. This keynote is part of UB’s continuing effort to illuminate the history and legacy of Love Canal through archival materials, oral histories, and community dialogue. All are welcome to attend this memorable evening of reflection and conversation.