motherhood

This is a cliché, but as a child, I used to read everywhere. I read in the car, though it sometimes made me feel sick. When I should have been reading a textbook in lessons at school, I read books under the desk. I read novels as I walked home from school, at bedtime, and […]

When I consider the qualities a mother should have, my own mother serves as the template: she’s supportive, nurturing, still an open ear and a fount of gentle wisdom as I navigate my twenties. She embodies the warmth and comfort that society has long associated with—and demanded of—mothers, but not fathers. But when I read […]

I watch you now, my son, and it feels as though time is playing tricks on me. You are the baby I rocked to sleep and the boy who pulls away from my touch, eager to prove his independence. How strange it is that you can embody both—the child I knew and the one I’m […]

BAT: Are there any flavors to your own feelings about parenting that are particular to being a non-binary parent?  MC: It’s something I’m…I don’t know, dealing with in a new way. My gender feels less my own and more about me in relation to others, including a small person I love very much. Now, it’s […]

Marisa Crane’s debut novel, I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself (Catapult, 2022), is about a parent named Kris grieving the loss of her wife while raising her kid in a near-future surveillance state that punishes ‘harmful’ actions with the assignment of extra shadows. Crane lives in San Diego with their wife and child. You can […]

I published a short story called “All My Wrongs” on Literary Mama’s website ten years ago. The story was originally called, “Daughter,” and I wrote it before I had daughters. The idea came to me in response to a prompt for a craft class at Sarah Lawrence in 2006, but I pulled the story back […]

Welcome back to our monthly social media writing prompt series, #MamaAnd. We loved reading your contributions to “Mama And Back to School” for September! Here are a few of our favorites. Our prompt for October is: Mama And Mystery Whether it’s flash fiction, micro-story, drabble, found or short poetry, or even art, each prompt will […]

Welcome back to our monthly social media writing prompt series, #MamaAnd! Whether it’s flash fiction, micro-story, drabble, found or short poetry, or even art, each prompt will be an invitation to share a unique take on the motherhood experience. Literary Mama staff will select favorite contributions to share at the end of each month. Our prompt for […]

Welcome to our newest blog series: Where Are They Now? 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.  You’d have to be hiding under a rock to be unfamiliar with author and activist Stephanie Land. She’s the bestselling author of […]

Welcome back to our monthly social media writing prompt series, #MamaAnd. We loved reading your contributions to June’s Prompt! Here are a few of our favorites. Staff picks from June’s #MamaAndTeeth Our prompt for July is: Mama And Revolution Whether it’s flash fiction, micro-story, drabble, found or short poetry, or even art, each prompt will […]

Welcome to our newest blog series: Where Are They Now? 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. Look to this series for writing inspiration, reading suggestions, and connections to other mama writers. This week, Blog Editor and CNF Editorial […]