Sally [No Name Given] and Jennifer Frederic

Sally [No Name Given] and Jennifer Frederic

Recorded July 25, 2023 Archived July 25, 2023 39:46 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: atl004825

Description

Sally [No Name Given] [no age given] talks with conversation partner Jennifer Frederic (40) about being adopted and struggling at various times in her life to feel as if she fitted in.

Subject Log / Time Code

1:26
Sally mentions the book, The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade, by Ann Fessler.
2:18
Sally says her biological mother was approximately 19 years old when she gave birth. Sally says she was not initially put up for adoption but placed into foster care.
4:03
Sally says she was ultimately adopted by a couple experiencing infertility. Sally calls them Edward and Joyce.
5:16
Sally says there is nothing listing her birth name or the name of her biological mother. She recalls feeling like she did not fit in with her family or at school.
6:34
Jennifer asks Sally to talk more about her adopted family. Sally says a second baby girl was adopted and that they were approximately 4 years apart.
8:47
Sally talks about how much Edward loved Joyce.
9:25
Jennifer asks Sally about her accomplishments. Sally remembers being recognized as having musical talent.
11:07
Sally says her mind wandered as a kid. She says that today she would be diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
12:16
Sally talks about having a privileged life. She says she exasperated everyone.
13:54
Sally says her sister did not know she was adopted. Sally says she was not supposed to tell anyone about being adopted.
15:17
Sally says her sister was 13 years old when she found out about being adopted.
17:39
Jennifer asks Sally about college. Sally mentions partying with the other misfits.
20:38
Sally talks about being a classical vocalist. She says she majored in psychology and minored in music and french literature.
22:53
Jennifer asks Sally about her life after college. Sally says she rented an apartment with a friend while her parents retired to South Carolina. She says she did eventually join her parents in South Carolina.
24:30
Sally talks about her call to ministry. She remembers being baptized.
26:30
Sally says she attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, for her master's degree. She says she was involved with theatre and music.
27:16
Jennifer asks Sally about her ministry. Sally talks about meeting her future husband in seminary. She talks about the United Methodists.
31:41
Sally talks about recovering from a stroke. She says she is revisiting her origin story.
32:46
Sally remembers people saying she is lucky to be adopted. She says she is mad that no one supported teenage girls like her biological mother.
35:56
Sally says she has spent her whole life trying to fit in. She mentions the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Enneagram Personality Test. She says she has also taken the Harry Potter House Quiz and is a Hufflepuff.
37:55
Sally says the hospital with her birth records has closed.
39:26
Jennifer affirms that Sally is Sally.

Participants

  • Sally [No Name Given]
  • Jennifer Frederic

Recording Locations

Atlanta History Center

Venue / Recording Kit