Save the Date: July 5, Historical Society of Long Beach – with Gerrie Schipske

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.

In conversation with Stacy Perman (LA Times) at Book Soup, WeHo

Tour stop #5. Still electrified from my Father’s Day book talk with the veteran LA Times reporter Stacy Perman at the iconic “bookseller to the great and infamous.” Together we explored the systemic dysfunctions of the Los Angeles County child welfare system, and how it impacts the lives of foster-adoptive families like ours.

Both the interviewer and the location were quite remarkable.

Stacy Perman is an award-winning journalist, a New York Times bestselling author, and a recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship, whose work appeared not only in Los Angeles TImes, but also in Business Week, Time, and Wall Street Journal.

Located on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Book Soup has been serving readers, writers, artists, rock ‘n’ rollers, and celebrities since 1975. I was humbled by the fact that after so many Hollywood and high-profile books launched here, this legendary venue would save a spot for a talk about my memoir A Family, Maybe.

We talked, I read the opening chapter of the book (“Curbside Delivery”), answered questions from the audience, and signed a few books. The time flew by in what felt like 10 minutes, but was closer to 2 hours.

So thank you, Book Soup, for hosting and promoting us, Stacy Perman for insightful, probing questions, and everyone who came for their support. Some of the attendees drove from as far as Altadena, Seal Beach, and Torrance, and I truly appreciate that.

I am also grateful to Janet Fitch for helping get the word out, my friend and colleague Susan Niemeyer for these great photos, and the tireless book impressario Corey Roskin for connecting me to Book Soup.

Speaking at ONE Archives at USC

Tour stop #4. On June 5, I spoke with Craig Loftin, PhD, professor of American Studies at CSU Fullerton, at ONE Archives at USC Libraries, the world’s largest repository LGBTQ materials.

With Craig being a well-known queer historian, we were able to look at our family building story, documented in A Family, Maybe, as representative of the first wave of out gay parents – the transformative time when our family making intertwined with the struggle for equality of the LGBTQ community, including full and equal rights to civil marriage and public adoption.

I read several excerpts from the book depicting our path to parenting, which mirrored that of the community at large.

USC had posted the event on its Event Calendar, and ONE also publicized it advance of the talk.

Thank you, Dr Joseph Hawkins, Lexi, Quetzal, and Au at ONE who helped organize the event, and to all who came, asked questions, and, for some reason, decided to get a copy of my book.😉

Book signing in Long Beach

Tour stop #3: A deep and lively conversation with Ellie Perez, head of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach at Page Against The Machine, especially when we explored “how we do family” as LGBTQ parents, how much our rights and visiblilty have grown, and yet how much work still remains to be done.

My book event took place during the Long Beach Pride week, but also on the International Family Day, which made it even more memorable.

Something special from the day. The morning of my talk at PATM, I found these adorable baby shoes from when my younger daughter was an infant!

I brought them with me and placed them proudly on the microphone podium. Just looking at them made the whole story feel real.😌 I’ll be taking them to all other book signings from now on.

Thank you, Chris Giaco (below), the owner of Page Against The Machine, for hosting us.

There will be another book signing in Long Beach: July 5 at Long Beach Historical Society in Bixby Knolls, and 2 more in LA: June 5 at ONE Archives at USC and June 14 at Book Soup on Sunset. Hope to see you at one of those!

Interview on Filled Up Cup, a parent self-care podcast

Our one-hour interview delved into the emotional and practical sides of adoption. Filled Up Cup ☕️describes itself as “a different kind of self-care resource — one that has nothing to do with bubble baths and face masks, and everything to do with rediscovering yourself after becoming a mother. Join us as we talk unique experiences, unconventional methods and off the wall products. I hope you’ll enjoy following . . . real reviews, honest experiences and unfiltered opinions that make you laugh, make you cry and most importantly- leave you with a filled up cup.” ☕️

Have you ever considered adoption?

@laneigoudin joins me on episode 89 of the Filled Up Cup podcast to discuss his candid memoir: A Family, Maybe Two Dads, Two Babies, and the Court Cases that Brought Us Together. This episode is streaming on all major podcast platforms.

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#lgbtqbooks #memoirs #laneigoudin #fostercareadoption #lgbtadoption #gayrights #nationalbookloversday #bookinstagram #gaydadsofinstagram #fathersanddaughters #loveisloveislove
#myadoptionstory #parentingmemoir #fostercareawarenessmonth

The Pacific Sentinel on AFM’s path to publication

From the magazine’s story about the reasons why I wrote A Family, Maybe, and its long, arduous path to publication:

“Memoirs have a unique power to draw readers into the intimate narratives of our lives, offering glimpses into personal struggles, triumphs, and transformations. However, the path from lived experiences to a published book is often challenging, filled with revisions, rejections, and revelations. The story behind the creation of Lane’s memoir, “A Family, Maybe”, showcases the arduous yet rewarding journey of bringing deeply personal experience to life. . . “

The Journey of a Memoir

I am very touched by the article. Thank you, Janeth Hernandez, the writer, and the magazine!

Book talk at 2 LA congregations

Tour stop #2 – this time on Zoom! On April 17, I spoke at the joint online Lunch-and-Learn of two LGBTQ-affirming LA synagogues: Beth Chayim Chadashim and Congregation Kol Ami. Moderated by Rabbi Jillian Cameron (BCC), my one-hour talk focused mostly on our story depicted in A Family, Maybe and on Jewish values in parenting. There was a bit of reading from the book, and a lot of Q&A. The audience was warm and receptive. Glad to have been invited.

Watch the recording below.

Chats from the Blog Cabin podcast interview

A one-hour interview about my book with a bit of reading and a lot of storytelling on a popular podcast/YouTube channel.

Thank you for a great conversation, Melissa Vera!

Podcast:

YouTube



Speaking on Parenting 411 podcast

Thrilled to share our story and tips for other parents, adoptive or not, on a popular parenting podcast / YouTube channel, which presents it as an “inspiring journey of love, faith, and resilience. . . Tune in to hear about Lane’s experiences, the evolution of LGBTQ+ adoption rights, and how his family’s story intertwines with his Jewish faith. This episode is a beautiful reminder of the power of love and determination in creating a family.

In this deeply inspiring episode of The Parenting 411, we’re honored to have Lane Igoudin share his heartwarming journey. Lane, alongside his husband, navigated the complexities of the US adoption system in the early 2000s as a gay couple, leading them to the joyous adoption of their two daughters. This episode delves into their challenges, triumphs, and the profound impact of their journey on their family life and the broader LGBTQ+ community.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:
1. The unique obstacles Lane and his husband faced in the adoption process.
2. The evolution of LGBTQ+ rights and its impact on adoption since the early 2000s.
3. The role of love and resilience in building a family against the odds.
4. How Lane’s Jewish faith influenced his parenting and family dynamics.
5. Lane’s insights for prospective adoptive parents from diverse backgrounds. Resources and Links:
– A Family, Maybe (Lane’s memoir).
– Adoption.com guide for prospective foster/adoptive parents by Lane Igoudin.

🔗 Listen here.”

“Pathways to Parenthood” in Motherhood Later

Motherhood Later excerpted a chapter from my book A Family, Maybe about how I came to the idea of parenting, and foster / adoptive parenting in particular.

I was surprised by their chapter choice, but reading their website, and it’s a great website, full of resouces, news, and inerviews, I understood why. Moms (and Dads) Later is like a countrywide support group for parents over 35. I’d just turned 35 when we took in our first child, and my husband was a bit older. I can see how our experience could resonate with other 35+ parents. Take a look!