“A court drama that became a personal memoir” was the title of the talk I gave to my alma mater alumni club here in LA on October 26, 2025. In it, I reflected on the issues facing the child welfare system in Los Angeles, challenges of adopting from foster care, and writing a memoir which intersects family history with pressing social issues.
My parenting journey, as I mentioned during the talk, actually began at Stanford. Back in 1996, working a student job at Stanford News Service, I came across a magazine article about gay families.
I saw the answer right in front of me. I knew it would be my story too.
My SCPV talk went for about an hour, followed by the Q&A, which, unexpectedly, extended into another hour. Half the attendees, it turned out, had already read my book, while some were adoptive parents themselves!
Clearly, we had plenty to share and discuss.
And I signed some books as well!
Thank you, Stanford Club of Palos Verdes, for a great event!
Lane Igoudin | Author, Professor, Dad 