A Reading & Discussion ft. local contributor, Susan Devan Harness.
Susan Devan Harness is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, a cultural anthropologist, and author of the multiple award-winning book Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption. Her research, writing, and speaking has informed the child placement community and beyond of the very real and problematic issues of transracial/interracial adoption. She’s appeared on the TEDxMileHigh stage and has been a guest on many podcasts and public radio programs. Susan holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology and a Master of Arts in English, both from Colorado State University, where she’s an affiliate of the Department of Anthropology and Geography.
About Relative Strangers:
What's it like when a complete unknown is actually close family? In Relative Strangers: Inheritance, Identity, and the Meaning of Kinship-a provocative anthology curated by B.K. Jackson, with a foreword by Libby Copeland, 28 acclaimed and emerging writers explore the transformative experience of encountering unknown close relatives. These are intimate stories by those who've spent years longing and searching for their unknown biological families and by others shocked to discover they have parents or siblings they never dreamed of-blindsiding revelations that demand both a radical recalibration of identity and a redefinition of family. Each addresses the myriad emotions that arise in the wake of these discoveries and encounters, demonstrating that what we don't know can hurt us, that secrets are toxic, and that truth can bring healing, redemption, and, sometimes, estrangement. Woven through is a universal question: What does it mean to be family?
“Relative Strangers is a collection of essays full of secrets. Family secrets. Imagine finding out that the man who raised you is not your biological father. Perhaps your father never knew you were born. Maybe a parent you never knew has a family full of kids you realize are also your family. And you set out in search not only of those you never knew, but your own identity, which is now in flux. Every one of these essays is written with an almost ruthless honesty, and its companion, vulnerability. This is the most powerful kind of writing-an unforgettable book, and long overdue.”
-Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life
“The mysterious double helix of identity and belonging binds the heart-achingly unique stories in Relative Strangers. In intimate and haunting prose, the writers fearlessly explore one of humanity's oldest and most existential themes: genetic roots and the shaping of the individual. Breaking the silence of family secrets, rejecting the shame of genetic separation, they share their most intimate and vulnerable moments to shed light on subjects that have long been shrouded in darkness. With stories that plumb the very essence of the human condition, Relative Strangers is not just a compelling and deeply revealing read, but also great literature.”
-Alice Stephens, author of Famous Adopted People