I am always on time to work but late to the party otherwise, which is why a blog on the highlights of the previous Literary Mama issue is a good task for me. Sometimes it is the first chance I’ve had to actually look at it. I imagine many other literary mamas feel the same. […]
If you love fiction, are interested in fostering other writers through the editing and submission process, and would like a ready-made network of other mama writers to enhance your own creative endeavors, consider applying for the role of Fiction Editor at Literary Mama. You can find more at our Opportunities page.
As a literary mama to three children over age 16, the groundwork was laid long, long ago. I was much like a museum curator, guiding my charges to what I thought was important but giving them freedom to discover jump off spots where they could explore their own interests. During those early years, board books […]
Poetry editors Libby Maxey and Amanda Roth recently created an interview where they answered some questions that poetry readers and writers might find interesting and (hopefully) useful if they are considering submitting to Literary Mama. Current publications or publishers we enjoy: AR: I’m a big fan of journals like West Trestle Review, MER, Whale Road […]
Yes, the July/August issue of Literary Mama is out, but it is the dog days of summer and I’ve gotten behind for very different reasons than when I run behind during the school year. I wanted to take a moment to highlight a couple pieces from the May/June issue that really spoke to me. One […]
Imagine. A mother who adores books, sitting precariously on a beanbag at the base of her teenage sons’ bunk beds and reading aloud; mainly to herself, but hopeful that the boys are listening to her, and not to music through earpods. At first glance, this might appear a melancholic vision of a mother’s obsolescence, once […]
Maybe today, July 4, 2026, you’ll find time to write. You’ll fit it in between the hot dogs at noon and the fireworks after dark. Or perhaps, you’ve secreted a pad of paper in the pool bag. Of course, if you’re busy with cookouts and parades, it may be next week before you get a […]
As a community connected by our love of literature and motherhood experiences, we know how significant it is to feel accepted. Literature is the label we often attribute to writing that has been published or posted to a wider audience. We even say that literature needs that superior quality or to be recognized as having […]
When my children were young, summer was not a time for relaxation and reading. Rather, it was time for me to put on my cruise director hat and keep the kids occupied with swimming, library visits, museum exploration, and play dates. Now that my youngest is driving himself, summer is finally a time for me […]
Several years ago, I wrote a Literary Mama blog post about using travel to find writing inspiration, but this year, we’re not traveling. We’re being quite dull and saving money for what I consider a very uninspiring and also anxiety-producing endeavor: a kitchen remodel. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to write about. I […]
If you’re a literary mama, you’ve likely been reading to your child since birth. But as our children grow, those reading relationships change. The Literary Mama blog team will be periodically presenting some short essays about what those stages of reading look like with some help from guest mama writer, Cassie Mannes Murray. Her first […]