Exploring the Complexities of Adoption: Luck, Lore, and Pop Culture with Sullivan Summer

In this deep-dive conversation, April Dinwoodie sits down with Sullivan Summer, an independent scholar, poet, and adoptee rights advocate, to unpack the layers of the adoption experience. From the "luck" narrative to the realities of transracial adoption, they explore how media and pop culture shape our understanding of family. Sullivan shares her work with Adoptees for Family Preservation and her own podcast, Adoption Pop!, highlighting why disrupting traditional narratives is essential for authentic storytelling and systemic change.

Key Takeaways

• The "Luck" Complex: Why the concept of being "lucky" in adoption is a double-edged sword that often obscures the loss inherent in the experience.

• Media & Representation: How pop culture frequently misrepresents adoption, and how we can use those same tools to reclaim the narrative.

• Transracial Dynamics: Navigating the intersection of race, privilege, and marginalization within adoptive families.

• The Power of Community: Why adoptee-centered spaces are vital for support and advocacy.

• The Business of Adoption: Understanding adoption as a $25 billion industry and the implications for family preservation.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Community Connection

• 01:09 Exploring the Myth of "Luck" in Adoption

• 09:14 The Realities of Transracial Adoption

• 20:10 Misconceptions and Media Representation

• 37:30 Introducing the Adoption Pop! Podcast

• 49:05 Authenticity and Vulnerability in Storytelling

• 58:31 Closing Lessons: The Importance of Listening

About the Guest

Sullivan Summer is a domestic, transracial adoptee and a leading voice in adoptee rights advocacy. She is an independent scholar, critic, essayist, and poet whose work has been featured in various literary and academic outlets. Sullivan serves as the President of Adoptees for Family Preservation, a nonprofit dedicated to adoptee-centered storytelling, and hosts the Adoption Pop! podcast. Her 2025 chapbook, Performance Anxiety, was published by Black Sunflowers Poetry Press.

Connect with Sullivan:

• Website: sullivansummer.com

• Instagram: @thesullivansummer | @adoptionpoppodcast

• Substack: Sullivan Summer on Substack

• Podcast: Adoption Pop!

• Nonprofit: Adoptees for Family Preservation

Podcast Credits

• Produced by: April Dinwoodie & Kyle Ferreira

• Engineered and Edited by: Kyle Ferreira

Theme Music: Kevin Lowther (aka Big Lux)