Long Beach author Lane Igoudin will be in conversation with Gerrie Schipske, a two-term Long Beach City Councilmember, about A Family, Maybe, his memoir of building a thriving family through foster adoptions,
This free book event will be held at Historical Society of Long Beach (4260 Atlantic Ave.) on Friday, July 5, at 6:30 pm, and is part of the monthly First Fridays in Bixby Knolls. Q&A, signing, and refreshments will follow the talk. The book will be available for purchase at the event.
Public adoption can be filled with twists, turns and heartache. This is something Lane and his husband Jonathan experienced firsthand in their 3-year foster adoption process. A Long Beach family story, A Family, Maybe, offers an unprecedented look at the adoption side of an overburdened, and at times chaotic Los Angeles County foster system, the largest in the country. The book shows how it impacts the lives of everyone involved, from the children raised in foster care, to the suffering birth parents, to the couples like Lane’s desperately hoping to start families of their own.
A Family, Maybe also documents the changing political environment of the pre-equality era in which LGBTQ families began to come out of the shadows and into public spotlight. In the early 2000s, with gay marriage and adoption still illegal in most U.S. states, Lane and Jon’s family would join the first wave of out gay families fighting for acceptance, legal recognition, and ultimately, respect.
A Family, Maybe received praise from U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal who represented Long Beach in 2013-23; Sheila Kuehl, California’s first out gay legislator; Rita L. Soronen, President and CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption; as well as bestselling writers like Janet Fitch and Greta Boris. Lane has spoken about his book on NBC’s “Daytime” show as well as a variety of syndicated radio shows and literary and parenting podcasts.
Lane is available for interviews in advance of his talk at HSLB.
Lane Igoudin, Ph.D., is the author of A Family, Maybe, a journey through foster adoptions to fatherhood (Ooligan Press, Portland State University, 2024). He has written extensively on foster adoption, parenting, and other topics for Adoption.com, Forward, Jewish News, Lambda Literary Review, and Parabola, and spoken about his book on NBC’s “Daytime” show as well as a variety of syndicated radio shows and podcasts. Lane is professor of English and linguistics at Los Angeles City College and recently served as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow with the Humanities Division of UCLA. See more at www.laneigoudin.com.
Gerrie Schipske is the author of eight books about her hometown, including the new LGBTQ+ Long Beach (Arcadia Press, 2024). The only lesbian elected to public office in Long Beach, Gerrie served two terms on the Long Beach City Council and is a past President of the Long Beach Chapter of NOW. In 2013. President Obama honored her as one of only seven “White House Champions of Change for Open Government.” Married to her partner of 44 years Flo Pickett, Gerrie adopted three foster children and is raising a granddaughter.
Lane Igoudin 