News and Announcements

Welcome to the November issue of Literary Mama. This month, many of our writers are looking back, letting go, and moving on. We hope you find these pieces as inspirational…

Michelle Herman devotes much of this collection to describing her evolving bond with her daughter, but at the core of each essay is a sustained engagement with music—with listening, with…

Having grown up in a white family, Deborah Jiang-Stein searches to make sense of the differences in her multiracial appearance and in her inner workings, and experiences a deep anguish…

Would he like all of the books I picked out? Would he see the collection as a gift or a burden? Knowing that I could not control his reactions, I…

It has taken me a disgracefully long time to absorb an obvious lesson: The common denominator in parenting wisely and writing well is the ability to listen—wholeheartedly, single-mindedly, emptied of…

For this special #NaNoWriMo edition of Essential Reading, “The Creative Crunch,” our staff and readers recommend books that nudge us to be creative or productive.

Years ago, I taught this one to tie his sneakers, carve a pumpkin, kick a soccer ball, hold a kitten, and fend off a bully on the school bus. Now…

A writer’s workshop in Vermont. She still can’t believe she has gotten in. She fretted over it, after being accepted. Would she be ready? But now, she thinks of posting…

We were warned about this by the director of the adoption agency: Eventually your daughter will have questions about her “bio-mom.” Do not vilify this individual. Explain, instead, how China’s…

The great lie, here, is that in ”having it all,” we have sacrificed nothing. In reality, we’ve sacrificed the act of choice itself. Instead of weighing our options and determining…

Ten years ago, when I was still working as a librarian, I had a memorable lunch with a colleague. She was older than I, close to retirement age, and her…