Kickstarter

Open & Shut is the tentative title of my book about adoption.

What is it? Open & Shut tells the story of how adoption in America has changed in the last 20 years, thanks to the adoptee rights movement, new open-records laws, and the advent of the internet and social networks. It's about how adoptees and birth parents gained new tools at the end of the 20th century to reunite with one another, and how the face of adoption is changing in America. It's a story that affects many, but it's also intensely personal--I'm also an adoptee, and Open & Shut will also examine my own adoption experience.

What am I doing? Open & Shut is the thesis project for my MFA in nonfiction at the University of New Hampshire. To tell the story of the massive changes going on in the realm of adoption, as well as in the lives of adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents, I'm interviewing all sides of the "adoption triangle." I'm also interviewing lawmakers, case workers, academics, advocates, privacy experts, and many others. In addition, I'm attending conferences, rallies, support groups, meetings, and other events.

What is the money for? Funding my research will help me accomplish all of the above. Conferences cost money (registration fees and transportation and lodging costs are a huge hurdle for my research), as do interviews (transportation costs, phone bills, etc.) and other aspects of reporting. In addition, I hope to build a website where adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents can share their stories and connect with each other.