Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
Louise Browne & Sarah Reinhardt
Two adult adoptees, Sarah Reinhardt and Louise Browne, delve into all things adoption - from their perspectives as adult adoptees.
Each season Sarah and Louise recap a chapter from a book centered on adoption and then interview a guest. Sarah and Louise come out of the 'fog' in real-time through Seasons One and Two and are advocating for change in the adoption industry. They want to give voice to all adoptees. Adoptee stories are needed to reframe the narrative around adoption.
Sarah and Louise, two former business partners who had a successful ice cream truck in Los Angeles, team up again - this time in frank and honest conversations about all things adoption from the adoptee perspective. Both were adopted shortly after birth, but they had very different experiences.
These will be intimate conversations, but also fun - because Sarah and Louise know how to lighten things up and have a good time. They also have an uncanny ability to get to the heart of a subject with anyone who crosses their path - so conversations will take many turns.
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Top 10 Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Angela: You Should Be Grateful. Season 9 Finale
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
03/11/25 • 50 min
Angela Tucker is a Black transracial adoptee and the author of "You Should Be Grateful:" Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption, published in April 2023 by Beacon Press. Her search for her biological family was featured in the documentary CLOSURE, which premiered on Netflix in 2015. In 2022, Angela founded the non-profit Adoptee Mentoring Society, offering virtual mentorship for adoptees worldwide. With 15 years of experience in child welfare, she has appeared on CNN, Red Table Talk, The New Yorker, and more, advocating for adoptees.
When she's not working to amplify adoptee voices, you can find her at the spa, on the basketball court, or hostessing at Jazz Alley. She drinks a London Fog nearly every single day, and is currently debating the importance of kicking this sugary (but, oh-so-delicious) habit. Angela lives in Seattle, Washington with her Emmy Award-winning spouse, Bryan Tucker.
To find Angela: https://www.angelatucker.com/
You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption by Angela Tucker
Closure - Angela Tucker Documentary
Our Next Book: Season 10 : The Adoptee's Journey: From Loss and Trauma to Healing and Empowerment by Cameron Lee Small
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be Saturday, April 12th @ 1 PM ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Hiraeth Hope & Healing
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
To support the show - Patreon.
Steve: An Adoptee Talks Birth Records
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
06/11/24 • 55 min
Steve Inskeep is an adoptee and adoptive parent born in 1968, the peak year for adoptions in America during the Baby Scoop Era.
He is a host of NPR's Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Known for interviews with presidents and Congressional leaders, Steve has a passion for stories of the less famous: Pennsylvania truck drivers, Kentucky coal miners, U.S.-Mexico border detainees, Yemeni refugees, California firefighters, and American soldiers.
And now adoptees can be added to that list. Recently, he published an in-depth article in The Atlantic about America’s long history of secret adoption:
NO ONE’S CHILDREN - America's long history of secret adoption
A native of Carmel, Indiana, Inskeep is a graduate of Morehead State University in Kentucky and resides in Washington, DC.
To skip ahead to the interview go to timestamp: 15:51
Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, by Gretchen Sisson
LIVE RECORDED PODCAST with Adoption: The Making of Me (ATMOM) & PHOTO EVENT with JEFF FORNEY of THE INNOCENT PEOPLE PROJECT - September 7th in Kansas City, Missouri.
RESOURCES for Adoptees
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
Hiraeth Hope & Healing
Moses Farrow
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
NAMI Hotline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email them at [email protected]
Adoptee Therapist Directory
If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community. Our next Zoom is 7/13 at 1pm ET.
Our Patrons: Laura, Barbara, Ramona, Linda, Daphne, Denise, Michelle, Emily, Linda, John, Eric, Beth, Ron, Tony, Kristi, Kristen, Jane, Kelley, Sandra, The Harpy, Kristan, Lisa, Michelle, Jesper, Julie, Rivi, Robert, Colleen, Janet, Robin, Lynn, Mikki, Sharon, Carol, Elizabeth, Diane, Ann, Darra, A.M., Kelly, Lyn, Lynn Wood, Jeff, Karla, Ellen, Gayle Whitlock, Dave, Kim, Simone, Liesl, Kelly, Sherry, Barbara, Sandra, Darla, Lisa and Karen.
To support the show - Patreon.
Jay: Using Journalism Training to Track Down Family Roots
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
04/18/23 • 66 min
Jay Blotcher was adopted in June of 1961 at the age of one year by a couple in Randolph, MA, a Boston suburb. His dark complexion prompted countless questions about his lineage during childhood.
In March of 1988, Jay was contacted by his birth mother, Valerie Paul, and learned he was the product of a one-night-stand between this young girl and a pitcher from the Baltimore Orioles of Puerto Rican lineage. In the ensuing 35 years, Blotcher employed his training as a journalist to track down his biological father's family, as well as the foster family who cared for him before his adoption. At age 62, he can finally tell the complete story.
Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Megan Culhane Galbraith's "The Guild of the Infant Saviour" by Megan Culhane Galbraith.
If you'd like to read along with Sarah and Louise, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Guild-Infant-Saviour-Adopted-Machete/dp/0814257917
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
If you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.
Thank you to our current Patreon donors for their support.
Our Patrons are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed, Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson, Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino, Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells and Lynn Grubb.
To support the show - Patreon.
Ann: Sleuthing and DNA Led to Answers
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
01/28/25 • 88 min
Ann is a Baby Scoop-era adoptee. Born to teenage parents in the early 1960s, she was adopted when she was not quite two weeks old. She’s always known she was adopted. Her adoptive mother told her against the wishes of her adoptive father when she was very young. Knowing caused her a great deal of angst growing up because she felt her adoptive parents were withholding information from her and that coupled with feeling and looking different from her adoptive family was a constant source of cognitive dissonance that lasted into adulthood.
As an adult, Ann searched for her birth mother over the years but with little information to go on, and the imperfect search options available to her, she found nothing. It wasn’t until her daughter convinced her to take a DNA test in 2019 that solid leads led her first to a maternal cousin and then to her birth mother’s family and set her on the journey to discover where she came from, and how it shaped who she’s become.
You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption by Angela Tucker
Closure - Angela Tucker Documentary
Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with with my link:https://www.magicmind.com/ADOPTEEJAN
JOIN US on March 8th in Atascadero, California - Live Podcast, Un-M-Othered, Jeff Forney & The Innocent People Project + More!
Leave your email for more info!
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting is this Saturday, February 1st @ 1 PM ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees
S12F Helping Adoptees
Adoptee Mentoring Society
Jeff Forney - Innocent People Project
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness MovementMoses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
To support the show - Patreon.
Kate: For This Adoptee, the Surprises Kept Coming
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
04/22/25 • 64 min
Kate was born at a Florence Crittenton home in Kansas City, MO, in 1970 and placed with her adoptive family at 9 days old. She always knew she was adopted and has always wanted to find her family of origin. This was finally made possible when Missouri changed its laws allowing adopted people access to their original birth certificates. She has been in reunion with her mother since 2018, meeting her in person and getting a life-changing hug in 2019. That hug was the first time she had a feeling of being home. Kate is also in reunion with her father’s family, who have been welcoming.
Reunion has been beautiful, messy, painful, liberating, and the most life-impacting thing Kate has ever experienced. Finding her story and learning about her people, though sometimes painful, has been incredibly grounding, and she now feels like a real person.
While finding family has been an overall positive experience, some of the stories have been quite difficult. Her father went on a shooting spree, killing three people, including two police officers, and wounding several more before taking his own life in Harrisonville, MO, in 1972. As luck would have it, she had a chance encounter with an author while visiting his grave for the first time. The author was doing research for a book he was writing about her father. This encounter was instrumental in helping Kate find healing, as it led to factual information about what happened that day in 1972, as well as connections with some of her father’s friends, giving her an understanding of the kind of person he was beyond the story he is most remembered for.
Kate has been fortunate that her mother was willing to answer all of her questions, even though they were uncomfortable and seemed repetitive. This helped her to understand the decisions made by her grandparents.
Had things turned out differently and Kate remained with her natural parents, her name would have been Lisa Simpson, which makes her giggle.
The Adoptee's Journey: From Loss and Trauma to Healing and Empowerment by Cameron Lee Small
Magic Mind - Use Code: MAKINGOFME
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, May 10th, @ 1 PM ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke
Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda
To get your subscription of Magic Mind, go here: https://www.magicmind.com/MAKINGOFME.
To support the show - Patreon.
Cameron Lee Small: The Adoptee's Journey: Season 10 Finale
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
06/03/25 • 55 min
Cameron Lee Small, MS, LPCC, is a licensed clinical counselor, transracial adoptee, and mental health advocate based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born in Korea and was relinquished into foster care at age three. He was then adopted in 1984 by a family in the United States. His private practice, Therapy Redeemed, specializes in the mental health needs of adoptees and their families wherever they may be in their adoption journey. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, the National Council for Adoption, and the Center for Adoption Support and Education.
To find Cameron Lee Small: Therapy Redeemed
Season 11: Adoptee Memoirs (begins on June 10th) - next books in order:
Practically Still a Virgin by Monica Hall
You Can't Get Rid of Me by Jesse Scott and Keri Ault
Unspoken by Liz Harvie
Sign up for our mailing list to get updates and the Eventbrite - (soon to be published) - for our September 12th & 13th Washington, D.C. Event!
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7th, @ 1 PM ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke
Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda
To support the show - Patreon.
Matt: Birth, Adoption, Reunion: The Fog Lifts
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
12/24/24 • 73 min
In 1983, Matt’s mother delivered him in a metro Detroit hospital. Within a week he
was relinquished to Catholic Social Services, and moved into foster care to spend
the first three months of his life.
A married couple, unable to have a natural child themselves, adopted and raised
him lovingly as their first child. While growing up, Matt always knew he was
adopted, but besides this knowledge, his family rarely discussed the topic of
adoption.
Matt has been in reunion since 2009 with members of his biological family on his
maternal and paternal side, including his first mother. Only since 2022, though,
has ‘The Fog’ over his eyes begun to lift - that of the dominant narrative
surrounding the American adoption system.
Today, Matt lives in northwest lower Michigan with his girlfriend, their two cats,
and his two biological sons. He is writing a memoir about his life as an adoptee.
You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption by Angela Tucker
Here is a link to order her book: bookshop link.
JOIN US on March 8th in California!-
Live Podcast, Un-M-Othered with Liz DeBetta + Jeff Forney & More!
Leave your email for more info!
Magic Mind Adoptee 20 Link
USE THE CODE AND LINK TO RECEIVE 20% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
magicmind.com/adoptee20
RESOURCES for Adoptees
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Hiraeth Hope & Healing
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom with the ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting is December January 4th
To support the show - Patreon.
Garth: A Midlife Discovery Exposes the Truth of Self
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
01/24/23 • 65 min
Given up at birth, placed in foster care, then adopted by a military family, Garth Garrett grew up always knowing he was adopted. He thought being adopted was no big deal - like being left-handed in a right-handed family and that his lingering sense of longing stemmed from the nomadic life of an Army brat. Only upon starting therapy in mid-life did he discover that adoption was actually the central issue of his life, including his own alienation from his own feelings. His multiple searches for each biological parent yielded information, more heartbreak, two more rejections by his biological mother, and ultimately a deep, happy connection with his biological sisters and a renewed sense of family with his adoptive sisters. Garth recently retired after 31 years with L.A. Metro.
Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss A.M. Homes' The Mistress's Daughter.
If you'd like to read along with Sarah and Louise, go here: The Mistress's Daughter by A.M. Homes
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
If you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.
Thank you to our current Patreon donors for their support.
Our Patrons are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed, Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy,
Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson, Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket and Robert Perrino.
If you'd like to support the show, you can do it here: https://www.patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast
To support the show - Patreon.
To support the show - Patreon.
Monica: Childhood Trauma Led to Empowerment
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
11/21/23 • 67 min
Monica Hall is an author, adoptee, and birthmother.
She was born in Canada, adopted by American parents, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing.
In addition to working as a business consultant, she has founded several successful companies and has worked in advertising and marketing for more than twenty years.
Monica published essays on her website and wrote her memoir to provide others with understanding, courage, and empowerment. She wants readers to realize that no matter the difficulties they face, it’s possible to heal and succeed.
Monica is a speaker, life coach, and mentor. She has three grown children and lives in Sacramento, California.
Practically Still a Virgin will be available in Spring, 2024. Please subscribe to Monicahall.com for launch dates and essays.
You can find Monica at:
Website
Instagram
Personal Facebook
Author FacebookTikTok
Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond.
Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity ShotTM
To enter our New York City ATMOM Happy Hour & Operation Foglist + Un-M-Othered Screening taking place on February 2nd & 3rd - go directly to the home page of our website and Subscribe to the Pod.
Note: There will be a cash stipend for airfare and hotels - if you live outside the continental US, you may have to pay additional funds to attend depending upon cost. Tickets to Operation Fog Lift & Un-M-Othering
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page
If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.
To support the show - Patreon.
Stephen: A Chance Viewing Led to a Search for Identity
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
05/13/25 • 77 min
Born in 1963, Stephen Payne was five weeks old when his parents adopted him through the Volunteers of America. He grew up an only child in a loving family. At age three, he overheard his parents discussing his adoption with friends. His mother explained it to him in age-appropriate terms, which mostly satisfied his curiosity, yet occasionally left nagging questions.
That inner conflict may have affected his earliest days in school, where he struggled. A diagnosis of ADHD confirmed some of this inner turmoil. A portion of this, Stephen has since learned, was hereditary, possibly caused, too, by adoption. Plus, some cruel neighborhood children ridiculed him about his parentage. Yet 4th grade marked a shift.
Better study habits, unwavering support from family, and several kind teachers and librarians fueled dramatic improvement in his grades, then and later. Nonetheless, it hid his insecurities and anxiety, starting a vicious cycle: an obsession with high grades, which led, inevitably, to more insecurity and anxiety, all in the name of approval.
In 1988 or ‘89, he watched a talk show highlighting a biological mother’s search for her daughter. Haunted by their story, Stephen declared to his mother, “I think I want to look for my biological parents.” Teary-eyed, she gladly offered her and his dad’s help. Days afterward, she located his final decree of adoption and his birth name. Thus began his search. Plus, he witnessed, anew, his parents’ undying devotion to him and eventually, his and their unknown, marvelous connection...
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7th, @ 1 PM ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
S12F Helping Adoptees
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson
Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova
Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke
Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda
To support the show - Patreon.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories have?
Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories currently has 170 episodes available.
What topics does Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Parenting, Kids & Family, Personal Journals and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories?
The episode title 'Julie: A Long Journey for Self-Compassion' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories?
The average episode length on Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories is 60 minutes.
How often are episodes of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories released?
Episodes of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories?
The first episode of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories was released on Apr 29, 2021.
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