This statement on this page expands on the editors’ note on this essay.
We are grateful for a group of concerned readers who reached out about the content of an essay named as a runner-up in our 2026 We Love Short Shorts Contest for Creative Nonfiction. Their letter to us was crafted with care and concern, and it opened up our eyes to things we didn’t know about the adoptive and adoptee community.
The Short Shorts Contest for Flash CNF reading team chose the piece for its vulnerability and level of craft. This particular call for submissions had the constraint of no more than 250 words, which may not allow for the level of nuance certain topics require. We appreciate the readers who shared how certain language, comparisons, or stereotypes can be harmful to the adoptee community, particularly children who find themselves unwillingly at the center of the process.
As a hub for creative freedom and expression, we are inspired by the dialogue the essay created, but regret the hurt. For that, we are sorry.
Though we always read and monitor the comments section*, we don’t typically respond. In this case, cautiously monitoring the dialogue from behind-the-scenes appeared as inaction or a lack of care. That was not the intention so let us say here: You have been heard. Here is how we plan to do better:
- We’ve responded privately to the letter from concerned readers
- We drafted and posted an editor’s note and this longer statement
- We engaged with the author of this piece about ways to move forward; this included an updated author bio at the end of the piece to provide additional context
- We will continue to actively cultivate a volunteer reading team with diverse lived experiences and engage with a sensitivity reader when magazine resources allow
- We will challenge our volunteer editorial team to identify gaps in their own lived experiences and to acknowledge them when encountering them in submissions
When editing and publishing stories about people’s real lives and perspectives, we run the risk of stumbling upon a knowledge gap. Without excusing our actions, we’re mindful that the “full spectrum of the human experience” — what we promise to honor and publish in our volunteer-run magazine — is far more vast than we currently know. Unintended ignorance and inherent biases may prevent us from knowing in advance when we’re entering a teachable moment, but we pledge to always do our best.
Sincerely,
The Hippocampus Magazine Team
*We turned off commenting on the essay in question as concerns were formally addressed privately and, via this statement, publicly. The existing comments will remain as a record of this teachable moment. This is in line with our comment policy/community guidelines.
