{"id":3619,"date":"2025-12-18T09:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T17:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/?p=3619"},"modified":"2025-12-19T14:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:51:54","slug":"editors-letter-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/editors-letter-family\/","title":{"rendered":"The Circles We Keep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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The Circles We Keep<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n December 18, 2025<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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We equate families with love, and in the best of worlds, that is true. But families can also bring hurt, jealousy, anger. As comedian George Burns quipped, \u201cHappiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old saying \u201cblood is thicker than water\u201d doesn\u2019t always hold. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes the bonds we choose can prove stronger \u2014 and truer \u2014 than those we inherit.<\/p>\n

As an only child of older parents, who in the 1960s counted as positively elderly and whose three siblings each also produced only children, my own family is tiny. It\u2019s not hard to understand why a chosen family composed of dear friends is so important to me \u2014 relationships that often feel as close (at least in my heart and imagination, though how would I know?) as the siblings I\u2019ve never had.<\/p>\n

In this issue, we touch on the topic of chosen family as we explore our scholars\u2019 pioneering research on family through the lenses of neurobiology, psychology, economics and policy. We examine the far-reaching implications of the accidental creation of what amounts to a national DNA database and challenge the myths about what DNA can truly reveal. We meet generations who connect to the Trojan Family through USC Dornsife\u2019s Joint Educational Project. We also consider the universal power of family-based political rhetoric to include \u2014 but also exclude. And we hear faculty reveal how their academic journeys were inspired by their own families.<\/p>\n

Look closely at this issue and you will find some less immediately obvious family connections woven through it. Our stunning cover, designed for us by artist Marisa Ware, depicts family in all its layered complexity. It also bears a deeper connection to the Trojan Family than is evident at first glance \u2014 Ware\u2019s grandfather, Arnold Ware, was a professor of biochemistry and pathology at Keck School of Medicine of USC.<\/p>\n

Speaking of legacy: Readers who share our fascination with typography may be excited to recognize our theme font for this issue is Garamond \u2014 a family of old-style serif typefaces that has been adapted and revived over centuries since its creation by French engraver Claude Garamond in 1532. Five centuries later, it remains a popular choice for its readability in both print and digital use.<\/p>\n

Whether we imagine kinship as rippling, interconnecting circles or as the growth rings of an old oak, reminding us of family trees that record generations and lineage, writer Alex Haley captured the enduring legacy of family beautifully: \u201cIn every conceivable manner,\u201d he wrote, \u201cthe family is link to our past, bridge to our future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan Bell<\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor-in-Chief<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n USC Dornsife Magazine\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Fall 2025 \/ Winter 2026<\/h2>\n

The Family Issue<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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