Libby Maxey

As I immersed myself in a foreign language, I was surprised to discover that a part of me had disappeared along with my vocabulary.

One day my daughter will know that my craft is what really brought me back.

When there are no words to speak, there are words to write.

How has writing helped you learn to trust yourself, find yourself, or remake yourself?

Last month, we invited readers to respond to a writing prompt inspired by Susannah Q. Pratt’s essay, “Get in the Car!” At work on her memoir, Kaye Curren feels like a kindergartener whose clothes just won’t behave.

Last month, we invited readers to respond to a writing prompt inspired by Susannah Q. Pratt’s essay, “Get in the Car!” Ashlee Laielli’s essay explores how parenting has shown her what it is to be a seeker.

For each issue of Literary Mama, Literary Reflections shares a writing prompt, inviting our readers to respond. Our editors provide feedback on the responses we receive, and we post our favorites on the blog.

My favorite way to choose books is to have them chosen for me—to receive them as gifts from people who want to share their favorites. Unfortunately, the person who gives me a book may have to wait a long while before I’m prepared to share a conversation about it.

If you’re looking for a hard-hitting read, check out these suggestions from the editors of Literary Mama.

This month, we’re flush with recommendations for books that will draw you in.

A new year tends to make me want to revisit Verlyn Klinkenborg’s The Rural Life. Organized by months, January through December, it’s a collection of small meditations on life in the world—a world that those who lived in the United States 100 years ago could recognize, the one that includes pigs, bees, potatoes, horses.