By: Lauren Jankowski I’ve always been a storyteller. Nothing gives me greater joy than crafting a story. Writing is not something I consciously chose to do, but rather it’s something I have to do. Growing up, I was most comfortable and happy when I was lost in a book. By the time I reached high […]
By: Lauren Jankowski Not that long ago, I was reviewing some work and got distracted by a common element that turns up in just about every story I’ve written: separated siblings. It struck me because although this was completely unintentional, it clearly reflects an important, but still unknown, part of my life. As I’ve previously […]
By: Lauren Jankowski My brother often asks me why I chose to major in anthropology rather than creative writing. Surprisingly the answer has a lot to do with my work. I’m an adopted child. I’ve grown up knowing that and so I don’t see it as all that unusual. I’ve always been upfront about my […]
By: Lauren Jankowski He’s the light-haired, dark-eyed Swede. I’m the dark-haired, bright-eyed Irish/Cherokee mutt. To look at us, nobody would guess that we were related in any way, much less siblings. We look nothing alike. When I was in elementary school, I frequently had people tell me that it must be so much easier for […]
By Lauren Jankowski Recently I led a discussion in my Gender and Culture class on a chapter from “Families We Choose” by Kath Weston. The chapter was entitled “Exiles from Kinship” and it was about how the Bay Area gay and lesbian community began constructing their own families in the 80s. These created families challenged […]
Interview with Lauren Jankowski by The Next Family TNF: How has it been blogging for TNF? It has been incredible. I have learned so much about writing and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I never thought I would write nonfiction, but I am happy that I chose to take advantage of an opportunity […]
By: Lauren Jankowski This is one of the most difficult things I have ever written, but I felt it important to write. I believe it is a situation that many adoptees either fear or feel alone in experiencing. I was able to write it because there are people in my life who love me just […]
By: Lauren Jankowski According to RAINN: Each year, there are about 213,000 victims of sexual assault. Recently, hundreds of people marched the streets of Chicago in protest of the victim-blaming that women are burdened with when it comes to the issue of rape and sexual violence. The protest was in response to a Toronto police […]
By: Lauren Jankowski How is it possible that I can so vividly remember the architecture of the third floor, but not the front door? Strange as it sounds, that was my first thought as I stood outside the Gothic structure. It had been more than 15 years since I last stood on this sidewalk, in […]
By Lauren Jankowski I’ve always been logical to a fault, even as a child. Perhaps this is why I never particularly enjoyed stories that were written specifically for adopted children. To me, they just seemed too straightforward: “Look. This character is also adopted. See, s/he is just like you.” Yeah, and…? Even the beautifully illustrated […]
