We love seeing what former Literary Mama contributors are up to in the world. “Literary Mamas to Follow” is a new blog series highlighting the work of mama writers and how Literary Mama has played a part in their creative journeys. Windy Lynn Harris, whose humorous fiction piece, “Dear Quiche, I’d Like an Apology,” was […]
Between Valentine’s Day, my oldest daughter’s birthday, and my wedding anniversary all within five days of each other, there’s no shortage of opportunities to tell my family I love them in February. With all the activity and excitement, it can be easy for me to neglect the things I need to flourish as both a […]
As a child, I was fond of telling dramatic stories. In fourth grade, I wrote a one-act play called “Tornado.” Four sisters lost both parents in a devastating natural disaster and were dispersed around the country only to meet up in their 20s at a Broadway audition. I directed, produced, and starred in this basement […]
It’s cold and gray; icy drizzle falls from the sky, which makes a hot cup of tea, a fuzzy blanket, and a chunky book the best accompaniments for a day spent inside. Winter is a wonderful time to hunker down and get some serious reading done. The editors and staff at Literary Mama would like […]
We at Literary Mama love The HerStories Project: an online community for midlife women who write (or want to write but don’t know where to start.) We’re excited to announce The HerStories Community 30-Day Writing Summit featuring 20 writers, instructors, coaches, and editors, including Literary Mama Profiles Editor, Holly Rizzuto Palker and former Literary Mama […]
2023 marks Literary Mama’s 20th anniversary and we’ll be celebrating throughout the year in a number of ways. Thanks to the work of newsletter editor Rhonda Havig, we have a brand-new webpage that highlights the history and legacy of Literary Mama. Head on over to the new 20th Anniversary Page to find out: We have […]
This fall I queried an agent for the first time. After four years of working on my essay collection, hitting Send felt more liberating and rewarding than terrifying. Of course, signing with an agent is only one step of the process and doesn’t guarantee publication. Still, this was farther than I’d ever gotten in my […]
Literary Mama is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we want to hear from writers who have contributed over the decades. We’d love to know what you’ve been doing since you published with us! Send us your updated bio, and we’ll get it into our system! We’d also like to invite former contributors to submit a […]
There is so much to write about the experience of motherhood. All of us have had mothers or mother figures in our lives, even if we haven’t all experienced motherhood personally. For those who will be, are, or have been mothers, there is no facet that doesn’t warrant in-depth exploration whether it is the ages […]
Mama writers, get out your wish list for Santa and add some new must-haves. If you’re looking to treat yourself this holiday season (we hope you are!), these gift ideas are great for helping you improve your craft, celebrating your writing and reading life, or simply make you feel good and cozy. If your family […]
Literary Mama is pleased to share the following special call for submissions from M Billye Sankofa Waters and Gholdy Muhammad-Jackson. From their announcement: “ YO! CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS We are working on a special issue for Urban Education titled “The First Authors: Honoring Knowledge Productions of and with Black Mothers.” We’re inviting folx to share […]