It’s the time of year for nominations, and we’re delighted to announce Literary Mama’s nominations for the 2027 Best of the Net anthology. Creative Nonfiction NominationsKaitlyn Brown, “A Map of Conditional Love,” Nov/Dec 2025: Jules Foshee, “Spill,” Jan/Feb 2026 Fiction NominationsRachel Geman, “The Evening Trimesters: A Guide to Your Afterbirth,” Jan/Feb 2026 Ani King, “It’s […]
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. […]
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 […]
Having trouble getting into your writer’s seat this summer? Hopefully you’re off making amazing memories that will inspire future essays and stories, but if you do find yourself at a coffee shop with a couple luxurious free hours, here are a few writing prompts to get your pen moving. 1.CNF/Journal: Write about your favorite 4th […]
How does summer influence you as a mother? You may try to recreate the wonderful experiences from your childhood with your own kids, such as camping in the quiet woods or chasing lightning bugs in the backyard. Maybe you struggle with summer and the pervasive lack of routine that seems to come with it. With […]
Part of the mothering story is the fathering story whether that fathering was purely biological or whether it involved consistent and complex relationship. Writers who have contributed to Literary Mama over its two decades have examined the role of fathers and what it has meant and can mean to daughters, sons, wives, families, and communities. […]
I have the cluttered mind of a writer. Words and ideas swirl in my head like autumn leaves caught in a wind tunnel. Post-it® notes adorn every nook and cranny in my office, and my desktop looks like Swiss cheese cluttered with dozens of folders for various writing projects like “Finished blogs,” “Essays in the […]
On March 1919, shortly after publishing her first novel, The Voyage Out, famed author Virginia Woolf wrote in her Writer’s Diary, “Is the time coming when I can endure to read my writing in print without blushing—shivering and wishing to take cover?” I am no Virginia Woolf, but at 1:00 a.m. on March 15th, 2023, struggling […]
Congratulations to our Literary Mama staff members! ~~~~~ Profiles Editor Brianna Avennia-Tapper spoke with poet Maggie Smith about choices—both on the page and in your home—for The Chicago Review of Books, and with climber/conservationist/writer/mother Majka Burhardt about flexibility in motherhood and on the mountain. Brianna also reviewed the singular novel/memoir Typical of the Times/What was […]
Mother’s Day 2023 has come and gone. For some, Mother’s Day is filled with activity and fun, while for others, it is a day of quiet, reflection, and remembrance. Emotions can run the gamut when it comes to this holiday—sadness, anger, shame, resentment, fulfillment, humor, love. Literary Mama has given mama writers a chance to […]
In this series, our editors interview past Literary Mama contributors to see what they’ve accomplished since publishing in LM and talk about their writing journeys. This week, Literary Reflections Editor and Senior Editor Andrea Lani catches up with Anne Liu Kellor. The first essay I edited when I came on board as editor of the […]