Editor’s Letter (October 2014)

I am so pleased to introduce you to the October issue of Literary Mama, which marks our recent switch to a monthly publication. Before I tell you all about it, I’d like to acknowledge the tremendous effort put forth by all the staff who worked on the issue. Every one of these women dedicated their talents and their time to making it the best it could be. All while juggling family, work, and creative commitments! I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank Karna Converse, our Managing Editor, for keeping us all on track and up to speed.

As in the past, many of our October pieces support the Desiring Motherhood theme. In Creative Nonfiction, we have “Near Miss” by Amber Rogers, a startling essay on miscarriage framed by a news story of a disappearing comet; “Reminder” by Karen Dempsey, which offers a unique take on one couple’s IVF story; and “The Fixer-Upper” by Danita Berg, about a woman who, despite all the mothering she does for her boyfriend’s children, still feels like an outsider.

In Fiction, there’s “Papier-Mâché” by Katharine Pigott, a richly-layered story of an overseas adoption with some unexpected and very real moments.

In Literary Reflections, we have “Open Receptivity: On Becoming a Mother-Writer” by Anne Liu Kellor, an evocative essay on carving out some writing time and solitude, as well as an Essential Reading list from our editors and columnists on books about desiring motherhood (or not.)

In Poetry, the writing moves along the spectrum from affecting to wrenching. Among the poems are Beth Suter’s “For the Daughter I Can’t Have,” which offers a glimpse into longing, with these subtle lines: “I dream of you, dandelion girl /what’s gone is everywhere” while Gabriella Belfiglio’s “Between Us” is a raw and emotionally charged depiction of the impact of child loss.

In Profiles, we gain insight into how one author keeps creative energy alive in “A Conversation with Katrina Kittle” by Profiles Editor Christina Consolino.

In Reviews, we have two fantastic pieces: “Adoption, Attachment Disorder, and Healing: A Review of Tina Traster’s Rescuing Julia Twice” by Meisha Rosenberg, and “Rich Interiors: A Review of Ona Gritz’s Geode” by Poetry Assistant Editor Ginny Kaczmarek.

And there’s more! In Columns, Ona Gritz gets her son ready for college (from afar) in “Empty Nest, Day One”; Beth Malone reflects on her need to stick close to home in “The Wild Things: South”; Avery Fischer Udagawa wonders, in “Four Worlds: To the Moon,” whether she should simplify her life abroad; and Cassie Premo Steele shares the inspiring “Reader Response to Class 1: Poetry.” (You, too, can take part in the Birthing the Mother Writer class by exploring the syllabus at the end of Cassie’s column.)

I hope you enjoy reading our October issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. We love receiving your comments, and please remember to share all this good writing with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Best wishes,

Maria