Editor’s Letter, May 2015
Every issue of Literary Mama is a celebration of motherhood, so how do we mark Mother’s Day? With a Mother’s Day issue of beautiful and thought provoking writing you’ve come to expect from us, including contributions from five of our very own staff members.
In fact, I’d like to dedicate this issue to all of our staff who contribute their time and energy to making this magazine what it is—a smart, diverse venue to read, publish, and share mama-centric stories . . . like these:
In Columns, Cassie Premo Steele’s fifth “Birthing the Mother Writer” class offers valuable lessons on the “Spectrum of Creative Nonfiction”; and Bonnie Pike signs off with the final installment of “Senior Mama” and some writing encouragement for those of you still in the mama trenches. We will miss Bonnie’s sage advice on these pages, and wish her the best with future projects.
Creative Nonfiction brings us three compelling and heartfelt pieces: “Anatomy of a Mother” by Kristin Leclaire; “Temporary Custody” by Blog editor Amanda Jaros; and “Tongue-Tied” by Casey Fleming.
In Fiction, there’s Susan McDonough’s “Ferry Findings,” a charming story that will “smooth the pinches out” of any mother’s face.
Literary Reflections features expat writer Amy R. Martin’s essay “Green Light” about working and living in Holland, as well as an eclectic “Mother’s Day” Essential Reading list compiled by Literary Reflections editorial assistant Justine Uhlenbrock.
Poetry is experimental and nuanced with “HOWL: for new mamas” by Cindy Price; “Postcards from my Childhood” by Poetry editorial assistant Erin Rodoni; “Suitcase” by Zeina Hashem Beck; and “my sunset” by Venus Jones.
In Profiles, we have Profiles editor Christina Consolino’s conversation with Julie Paul, in which the two discuss Paul’s transformation as a writer since becoming a mother, and what being a mother means to her.
From Reviews, Reviews editor Camille-Yvette Welsch finds lessons in mothering oneself in Cassie Premo Steele’s EarthJoy Writing; and Nicole Ross Rollender praises Cynthia Marie Hoffman’s Paper Doll Fetus for celebrating “pregnancy’s oddities and its perils, which saves the book idealizing motherhood, pregnancy, and birth . . .”
And be sure to visit our Blog for up-to-date information on Calls for Submissions; guest posts for our After Page One, Free Write, and Op-Ed series; a Writerly Roundup of articles related to craft and the writing life; and Announcements.
We are always grateful for your comments, and hope you can share all this good writing with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Cheers to all the Literary Mamas,
Maria