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I am currently editing and producing a short book aimed at adopted children and teenagers. The book will consist of short notes ranging in length from a few sentences to a page, although most will be a single paragraph or two ֖ of advice and wisdom from adult adoptees. I would like very much if any of the adult or teenage adoptees here would consider participating in this project. There is no tight deadline; I am typesetting the responses as they come in, and expect no more than 60-80 total entries. There are no rigid guidelines, either. I prefer to leave the nature of your advice or encouragement or other communication up to you. It may be as specific or as general as you prefer, and as intimate or broad as you think is necessary to communicate your ideas. You may present it as a letter, an essay, a poem, or in any prose style you wish. Submitted work may be lightly copyedited for grammar and punctuation, but will not be altered otherwise. I am pitching the project to Chronicle Books and other publishers I have worked with in the past, but am also considering self-publishing it and publishing the book electronically via Amazon and other similar outlets. All proceeds from the sales of the self-published book (or any earnings paid by a publisher) would, after printing costs, be donated to [URL="http://www.casaforchildren.org/"]CASA[/URL]. As an adoptive parent of several children I am very much aware that many young people struggle with notions of individual, race/ethnic, and class identity related very specifically to their adoption; I hope that, as someone who has no doubt grappled with these same questions, you may be able to articulate some of your ideas on the subject to them. I think many young people who are dealing with such stressors may be more willing to take advice from a well-known person they do not know someone who has either transcended or incorporated those subjects into their own success ֖ versus the advice of parents and family members who have not faced such issues. An introduction or foreword might also present short advice to adoptive parents, or prospective adopted parents, specifically those who may feel threatened by their child's exploring of these identity issues. I would also welcome any input on that topic as well.
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