Welcome to my website! I’ve been on the road, literally, virtually, and metaphorically, since the release of my memoir A Family, Maybe in 2024. The book tour has been exciting as well as the opportunities to speak about the book in the media, 25 podcast/radio interviews this year alone. In the meantime, several of my new pieces are coming out in a variety of media outlets.
Join me on this journey and feel free to reach out!
News, Events, Readings
- Speaking at the Long Beach LGBTQ Center Library opening
Thrilled to be part of the opening of the Center’s new Booher Library. The event called “Pride in the Pages” included 9 authors. We read, we talked, we signed books, we all had a good time! Glad to see nowContinue reading “Speaking at the Long Beach LGBTQ Center Library opening” - My latest JJ article rediscovers a forgotten Jewish kingdom
My article uncovers the spectacular rise and fall of a once flourishing Jewish kingdom of Himyar in southern Arabia. It appears on p. 24 of the Jewish Journal in print (April 17-23, 2026, p. 24) and online, The story carriesContinue reading “My latest JJ article rediscovers a forgotten Jewish kingdom” - On It’s Both
“Three Years in the Maybe” is the title of the episode in which therapist Nikki Piispanen is interviewing me on her podcast It’s Both: Living in the Messy Middle. It’s Both is described as: “Top 5% podcast globally. For peopleContinue reading “On It’s Both” - My review of a unique memoir, The Shochet, published in Tablet
The Shochet, (Touro U. Press, 2023-2025), is a rare, complex, and important document of life in the Pale of Settlement in the late 19th – early 20th century. I came across the book by accident and felt a particular affinity for itContinue reading “My review of a unique memoir, The Shochet, published in Tablet” - On The Making of Me
A reflective conversation on The Making of Me, a podcast focused on personal growth and life-shaping moments. This is also my first interview in Nigeria! Listen at https://apple.co/4lOR9Qb . If you’ve ever considered adoption, especially through the foster system, this candidContinue reading “On The Making of Me” - “How do working writers manage parenthood?”
Thrilled to be part of Pen Parentis’s recent “Fluid Boundaries” Salon – a panel of writers who are also parents! How do working writers manage parenthood?In Pen Parentis Spring 2026 Season Opener “FLUID BOUNDARIES,” successful authors address issues of work-lifeContinue reading ““How do working writers manage parenthood?”” - Speaking about Jewish parenting values
Jewish parenting values I learned throughout our foster-adoptive family journey was the central theme of my talk at the historic Temple Beth El of San Pedro, California. I had a lot to share and quite a few sources to bringContinue reading “Speaking about Jewish parenting values” - Reading at SWM Writers’ Showcase
I read “Of Love and Borscht” at the SWM Writers Showcase, a 2-hour show of local writers in Palos Verdes last weekend. My oddball piece, an essay based on a chapter from A Family, Maybe and republished by the foodContinue reading “Reading at SWM Writers’ Showcase” - On KLBP FM
Glad to be interviewed on KLBP 99.1 FM – Long Beach public radio station. In 10 minutes, we touched on how, when, and why I wrote the book, and why it matters today. Thank you, Melanie Rae of the “MorningsContinue reading “On KLBP FM”
Praise for A Family, Maybe
“An inspiring portrait of steadfast love under pressure.”
Janet Fitch, White Oleander, an Oprah’s Book Club selection
“A story of hope and perseverance.”
U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal
“The true tale of love and legal
struggles met by one couple hoping to adopt.”
Farron Hipp, NBC “Daytime”
TV Show
“A breathtaking exploration of challenges that adults and children face when navigating foster care adoption.”
Rita L. Soronen, President, Dave Thomas
Foundation for Adoption
“A lesson from a transformative era when California’s LGBTQ+ community was struggling to gain acceptance, respect, and equal rights.”
California State Senator Sheila Kuehl
“Shows a thriving, multi-racial and multicultural family based on love, stability, and an infinite devotion to their kids.”
Stacey Stevenson, CEO, Family Equality
“A must-read for any prospective foster-adoptive caregiver.”
Jenny Serrano, Children’s Services
Administrator, County of Los Angeles
“Recounts with compassion a struggle to create a family amid crushing bureaucracy.”
Vanessa McGrady, Rock Needs River
“An emotional hook to the heart that will keep even diehard thriller readers turning pages.”
Greta Boris, a USA TODAY bestselling author
About Lane
Lane Igoudin, Ph.D., is the author of A Family, Maybe, a transformative journey through foster adoptions to fatherhood (Ooligan Press, Portland State University, 2024). He has written extensively on parenting, spiritual growth, and LGBTQ issues for Adoption.com, Forward, Jewish Journal, Lambda Literary Review, LGBTQ Nation, Parabola, and Tablet. He has spoken about his parenting journey on NBC-TV, NPR, dozens of radio and podcast shows, as well as to live audiences at many venues. Lane is professor of English and linguistics at Los Angeles City College and a past Andrew W. Mellon Fellow with the Humanities Division of UCLA.
Lane Igoudin | Author, Professor, Dad 