Blog

With the start of 2026, we wanted to take a moment and reintroduce the Literary Mama Blog team, which consists of myself (Carrie Vittitoe), Femi Lewis, and Christina Francis-Gilbert.  Each of us came to Literary Mama with different motivations. Whether it was the desire to connect and network with other mama writers or an intention […]

I spoke with my sister earlier this week and she told me she had spent four hours wrapping presents. Needless to say, she was exhausted. This got me thinking about when I will complete my own mammoth job, and that thought alone tired me.  For many mothers, the task of wrapping gifts is, in reality, […]

Literary Mama is thrilled to announce its nominations for Best Small Fictions 2026: Tuesday Morning (Ordinary Time) by Polly Farquhar Fighting Wind by Sage Tyrtle Breath by Jessica Claire Haney How to Bake without Eggs by Edith-Nicole Cameron Tomorrow and All the Days After by Veronica Montes We’re so glad to be a small part […]

If you’re a writer and a mother, you already know that balancing these two things is an art, not a science. There is not one way to do it, nor is there a way that does it perfectly. Most of us struggle with it regularly–finding the time to raise our children while also finding the […]

The staff of Literary Mama is delighted to share our nominations for the Pushcart Prize. Ficton: “Your Sixty Seconds” by Susan Perabo and “Fighting Wind” by Sage Tyrtle Nonfiction: “Slicing Peppers” by Jill Finnessy Literary Reflection: “What’s Left Undone” by Julie Pfeiffer Poetry: “Fragile X Syndrome” by Francine Diodati and “Chapel of Bones” by Caedra […]

What motivates one writer is not the same as what motivates another, but the beauty of Literary Mama is that it’s a place where all kinds of writers with their unique motivations can co-exist. Some writers who publish with us submit just to see if their work will be accepted, and when that itch has […]

Motherhood is a little like ooblek, the non-Newtonian fluid goo that many of us play with in childhood. In the same way that ooblek is a little bit a solid and a little bit a liquid, motherhood is both a personal endeavor that is unique to each individual and a public experience that connects us […]

Two sets of pounding feet followed by shrieks of laughter.  What are the kids doing,” I thought.  I shrugged and kept writing. I had a cup of Bustelo, my Golden Era hip-hop at low volume, and a few good snacks that I smuggled into the basement and kept ready for moments like these.  Thud.  I’m […]

Get Posted/Get Published: Strong September 2025

August inspires great storytelling. This is the month that has given its summer climate and seasonal backdrop to novels many of us literary mamas will know well.

It doesn’t happen often that writer mamas get the time and space they need to fully immerse themselves in the craft of writing. Two Literary Mama staff members, D’Ann Drennan and Marie Goyette, recently attended Middlebury Breaf Loaf Writers’ Conference, which ran from Aug 13-23, 2025 in Ripton, Vermont. Both of them came from the […]