Author Libby Copeland with The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are

When:
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:00p -
7:30p

Where:
Online Zoom with the Boston Public Library, American Ancestors NEHGS, and the WGBH Forum Network
99-101 Newbury Boston
Boston, MA 02116

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Categories:
Lectures & Conferences

Event website:
https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/5e99e1fd864b4b2f006d1478

Join the Boston Public Library and American Ancestors NEHGS for a virtual author talk in their new series “American Stories, Inspiration Now.” On Wednesday, May 20, Libby Copeland will discuss her book, The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are.


The Lost Family is a deeply reported look at the rise of home genetic testing and the seismic shock it has had on individual lives. Journalist Libby Copeland explores the culture of genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story. Copeland delves into the many lives that have been irrevocably changed by home DNA tests, sharing the stories of adoptees who’ve used the tests to find their birth parents; donor-conceived adults who suddenly discover they have more than fifty siblings; some of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who discover their fathers aren’t biologically related to them; and individuals who are left to grapple with their conceptions of race and ethnicity when their true ancestral histories are discovered. Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is a spectacular book on a big, timely subject. As headlined in the New York Times, “Before You Spit in That Vial, Read This Book.”


Libby Copeland is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Washington Post, New York magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic, and many other publications. Copeland was a reporter and editor at the Post for eleven years, has been a media fellow and guest lecturer, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.


This series is also in partnership with the WGBH Forum (https://forum-network.org/lectures/libby-copeland-how-dna-testing-upending-who-we-are/). Each event is a free Zoom webinar, but registration is required. Sign up today at https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TUJ37hOESyKWPs0wcrseBA. For more information about American Stories, Inspiration Now, visit https://www.americanancestors.org/inspire.

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05/20/2020 18:00:00 05/20/2020 19:30:00 America/New_York Author Libby Copeland with The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are Join the Boston Public Library and American Ancestors NEHGS for a virtual author talk in their new series “American Stories, Inspiration Now.” On Wednesday, May 20, Libby Copeland will discuss her ... Online Zoom with the Boston Public Library, American Ancestors NEHGS, and the WGBH Forum Network, Boston, MA 02116 false MM/DD/YYYY

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